McKenna's power-play winner lifts Maple Leafs past Sharks to snap skid
Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for Toronto.
TORONTO · The Toronto Maple Leafs halted a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 home win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Rookie Gavin McKenna broke a 1-1 tie with a third-period power-play goal, his first career game-winner. Auston Matthews contributed a goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs, who improved to 4-4-2. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots for his first victory at home since joining Toronto.
San Jose forward Mason Marchment opened the scoring late in the first period after capitalizing on a Matthews turnover. The Sharks held that lead until the final seconds of the second period, when Matthews tied the game on a power play. He took a pass from Kirill Marchenko and beat goaltender Yaroslav Askarov with a high shot. Askarov made 28 saves for San Jose, which fell to 4-4-1.
McKenna scored the decisive goal at 4:56 of the third period, collecting a loose puck in traffic and firing it past Askarov. Nick Paul sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute. The Maple Leafs' penalty kill, which entered the game ranked first in the NHL, was perfect on four Sharks power plays. Toronto also scored twice on five power-play opportunities.
The game marked the first NHL meeting between the top two selections from the 2026 draft, McKenna and Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg. Maple Leafs winger William Nylander played despite missing the morning skate due to illness. Marchment, who scored for San Jose, is a former Maple Leafs prospect who played four games for Toronto before being traded in 2020. Toronto had gone 0-2-1 in its previous three games and 1-2-2 over its last five. Bobrovsky's performance marked only the second time in ten games a Maple Leafs goalie has held an opponent under three goals. The Sharks were penalized for too many men on the ice late in the second period, leading directly to Matthews' tying goal. Up next: The Maple Leafs visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, while the Sharks travel to face the Montreal Canadiens.
With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and Maple Leaf Hot Stove