Gardiner Scores In OT To Lift Leafs Over Penguins
TORONTO (AP) - Jake Gardiner scored 2 minutes into overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Saturday night to end a three-game skid.
Gardiner was set up by Mitch Marner, whose shot just shuffled past defenseman Derrick Pouliot in front. Nikita Zaitsev also scored for Toronto, which had dropped four straight at home.
The young Maple Leafs outshot the defending Stanley Cup champions 49-34 and got 33 saves from Frederik Andersen.
Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins, and Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray combined to make 47 saves. Fleury was forced to leave briefly in the first period after being cut on his neck by a skate. He got five stitches around his Adam's apple.
The game got a frantic start when Carl Hagelin was hooked on a breakaway attempt by Connor Carrick in the opening two minutes. Hagelin was awarded a penalty shot but was stopped by Andersen.
Less than a minute later, Fleury was injured on a dangerous play in front of his net.
Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk was tussling with Penguins defenseman Steve Oleksy when van Riemsdyk lost his balance. His left skate kicked up and caught Fleury right under his mask, and as the action turned the other way, Fleury signaled to the bench and the play was whistled dead.
The 32-year-old received treatment on the ice from a trainer before heading to the dressing room. Murray entered in his place, stopping all six shots he faced.
Fleury returned just past the midway point of the first period.
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Pittsburgh went up 1-0 just under two minutes later on Malkin's 13th goal of the year. He was set up nicely by defenseman Justin Schultz, who faked a shot from atop the slot before sliding it over to Malkin. The Russian center whipped a one-time shot from one knee.
Sidney Crosby added an assist on the play. The Penguins captain had a season-long nine-game point streak end Friday night in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
The Leafs evened it up 14 seconds after Malkin's goal on Zaitsev's first in the NHL. The 25-year-old, a free agent signing from Russia last summer, fired a shot from the right point that was batted by Oleksy in front before caroming off Fleury's mask and in.
Toronto generated quality opportunities on a power play a short while later, including van Riemsdyk's attempt from the door-step that was stopped by the left toe of Fleury. Nikita Soshnikov sent Marner's feed from the slot wide moments later.
NOTES: The Penguins were playing without two of their top defensemen, Kris Letang and Trevor Daley, because of injuries.
UP NEXT
Penguins: Host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Maple Leafs: Host Anaheim on Monday night.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
