Knights top Maple Leafs 6-2, snapping Toronto's 7-game win streak
Tue, Feb 27, 2024
NHL News (AP)
TORONTO (AP) - Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist, William Karlsson had a goal and an assist, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Maple Leafs 6-2 on Tuesday night to snap Toronto's seven-game winning streak.
Ivan Barbashev and Mason Morelli scored just over three minutes apart in the second period to build a 2-0 lead for Vegas, which got 28 saves from Adin Hill. Nicolas Roy added a late goal and Shea Theodore had three assists.
Minus injured captain Mark Stone and centre Jack Eichel, the Knights also ended a three-game slide of their own that included Thursday's 7-3 home loss to the Leafs.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Reaves scored for Toronto and Ilya Samsonov stopped 26 shots.
The Knights opened the scoring at 9:11 of the second period.
Barbashev took a pass from former Leafs winger Michael Amadio before beating Samsonov with a nice move to the forehand for his 14th goal of the season.
Morelli, a 28-year-old playing just his fifth NHL game, then tipped Theodore's point shot for his second at 12:20.
Hill stood tall on Toronto's first power play later in the period, including a chance off the stick of Auston Matthews. But Bertuzzi, who had a hat trick in Saturday's 4-3 victory over Colorado, fooled the netminder at 17:45 through the pads for his 11th.
The defending Stanley Cup champions got that one back with 48.8 seconds remaining in the second when Karlsson took advantage of a turnover by Leafs captain John Tavares before burying his 20th.
Toronto, which scored 38 times during its win streak, tried to push in the third, but fell behind 4-1 when Karlsson hit both posts and Marchessault jumped on the loose puck to give him 31 goals at 10:50.
Reaves scored with 5:25 left in regulation.
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was sent to the locker room by officials following a disagreement with 2:14 left in regulation.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: Continue a five-game road trip at Boston on Thursday.
Maple Leafs: Continue a five-game homestand against Arizona on Thursday.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
"