Sharks blow two-goal lead, but rookies shine in shootout win over Leafs
SAN JOSE – Center Alexander Wennberg hit a long-awaited career milestone Thursday night as he and linemate Tyler Toffoli had the Sharks on the verge of a regulation-time win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But it’s seldom that easy for the Sharks, who allowed goals to John Tavares and William Nylander in the final minute of the third period as the Maple Leafs sent the game into overtime.
But after a scoreless extra session, the Sharks got shootout goals from Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini to help finish off a 6-5 win over the Maple Leafs.
Wennberg scored his 100th career NHL goal, and Toffoli added two goals and an assist before an announced crowd of 15,514 at SAP Center.
Collin Graf added a shorthanded goal in the first period, and William Eklund scored his 17th of the season in a weird sequence as the Sharks swept their season series with Toronto.
Goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 30 saves for the Sharks, who improved to 3-4-0 on their season-long eight-game homestand that ends Saturday against the New York Rangers.
Toffoli scored and Wennberg had two assists in the Sharks’ 3-2 shootout win over the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on March 3. Toffoli now has 27 goals this season, and has 11 games left to reach the 30-goal plateau for the third straight year.
Wennberg’s goal came at the 1:39 mark of the second period, as he scooped up a loose puck in the Sharks’ zone, carried it into the Leafs’ end on a 2-on-1 with Toffoli, and shot it past goalie Joseph Woll for a 3-1 San Jose lead.
After San Ramon native Auston Matthews scored a power-play goal at the 4:46 mark of the second period to get the Leafs back within one, Eklund restored the Sharks’ two-goal lead.
Eklund followed Simon Benoit on a forecheck near the Leafs’ net when Woll tried to pass the puck up the ice. Instead, the puck went off Eklund’s skate, crossing the goal line at the 13:18 mark.