Hertl's late goal pushes Sharks past Leafs
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Tomas Hertl scored with 1:23 left Tuesday night to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hertl scored his eighth goal of the season with a wrist shot that beat Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen. Patrick Marleau did a great job protecting the puck with three Maple Leafs draped on him before feeding Hertl.
Joe Pavelski scored his 21st goal of the season on an empty net in which Joe Thornton earned his 999th career assist.
Each team broke through in the second period as the game was 1-1 after 40 minutes.
San Jose also bolstered its playoff hopes with a trade late Tuesday.
Yannik Hansen was acquired from Vancouver in exchange for minor league forward and former first-round pick Nikolay Goldobin and a 2017 conditional fourth-round draft pick that becomes a No. 1 if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup this season.
Toronto's league-leading power play struck on its first opportunity 51 seconds after San Jose defenseman Justin Braun hooked Auston Matthews.
And it was the Maple Leafs' dazzling rookie Matthews who converted with a snap shot from the slot over the left catching glove of Martin Jones at 6:41 to break the scoreless tie. It was Matthews' 31st goal of the season and third in two games.
Three San Jose penalty killers flailed with their sticks as Toronto gained zone entry, and Sharks defenseman Brent Burns gambled and lost with a missed check that allowed William Nylander the room to find Matthews working on the inside.
The Sharks gained the equalizer at 12:17 while skating 5-on-5, the goal a result of a tenacious forecheck by San Jose's top line. Brenden Dillon scored his second goal of the season with a slap shot from the top of the right circle that beat Andersen after rookie Kevin Labanc set up the defenseman with a great cross-ice feed.
NOTES: C Brian Boyle missed the morning skate, but arrived in time Tuesday to make his debut on Toronto's fourth line after acquired from Tampa Bay on Monday. ... Toronto's three-game trip to California continues with a stop in Los Angeles on Thursday. ... San Jose next hosts Vancouver on Thursday. ... The Maple Leafs assigned F Frederik Gauthier to the Marlies of the AHL to make room for Boyle. ... San Jose's LW Joonas Donskoi hoped to return after the team's five-day break last week, but remains out with an upper-body injury. Out since Jan. 23, Donskoi is practicing and missed his 14th straight game Tuesday. D Dylan DeMelo remains out with a broken hand.