Sharks 4, Maple Leafs 2
TORONTO -- Defenseman Brad Stuart scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 Tuesday to extend their winning streak to six games.
It was the fifth loss in a row for the Maple Leafs, two of them in overtime.
Tuesday's game was the opener of a four-game trip for the Sharks (19-3-5) after a 5-0-0 homestand. They are 9-1-0 in their past 10 games.
Right winger Mike Brown and centers Joe Thornton and Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks. Defenseman Dan Boyle added two assists.
Couture's 10th goal of the season came into an empty net at 18:36 of the third period to clinch the game.
Left winger Mason Raymond and right winger Phil Kessel scored for the Maple Leafs (14-11-3).
Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi stopped 28 of 30 shots.
Leafs goaltender James Reimer made 37 saves.
After spotting San Jose two first-period goals, the Leafs tied the game with two power-play goals in the second, only to have the Sharks regain the lead before the period ended.
The Leafs cut the lead in half at 2:44 on Raymond's 10th goal of the season with 23 seconds left on Boyle's interference penalty. Raymond took a shot that trickled past Niemi.
Kessel tied it at 9:47 with his 15th goal of the season -- and No. 200 of his NHL career -- on a close-in snap shot with Couture off for high sticking.
San Jose regained the lead at 16:00 of the second when Stuart's shot from an acute angle deep in Toronto territory squeezed past Reimer for his third goal of the season.
Brown was given credit for his second goal of the season at 10:00 of the first period after defenseman Jason Demers' shot from the right dasher deflected off Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly past Reimer.
The Sharks had a two-man advantage when Thornton scored his fifth goal of the season at 14:31, a shot from the edge of the right faceoff circle. Center Joe Pavelski set him up with a pass from the left side of the goal. The goal came after Leafs center Jay McClement was sent off for hooking at 13:04, and Raymond was penalized for tripping 43 seconds later.
NOTES: Sharks C Joe Thornton (right eye) said Tuesday morning that his vision was fine after he was struck by a deflected puck above his eye in Saturday's win over the Anaheim Ducks. He returned to that game after stitches and passing a test for concussion symptoms and was in the lineup Tuesday. ... Leafs C Peter Holland took the spot in the lineup for C Nazem Kadri, who did not play Tuesday because of the death of his grandfather. ... Leafs D Cody Franson (lower body) who was injured in last Friday's loss at Buffalo did not play. ... Sharks LW Raffi Torres (knee) and RW Adam Burish (lower body) are on injured reserve, as are Leafs C Dave Bolland (ankle) and LW Joffrey Lupul (groin).
