> MAPLE LEAFS
Back after missing 14 games with an injury, Auston Matthews, left, quickly made an impact, scoring two goals as the Maple Leafs beat the Sharks, 5-3. Andreas Johnsson, right, had two assists and John Tavares also had two goals.
Auston Matthews came back, and, of course, Mitch Marner and John Tavares never went away.
The combination proved to be a powerful force — too powerful for the San Jose Sharks — and the Maple Leafs skated off to a 5-3 win Wednesday night.
It was the third win in a row, and 10th win in their last 13 games.
Matthews had two goals and an assist in his first game back since injuring his left shoulder Oct. 27 against Winnipeg. Tavares had two goals and Marner had three assists, each continuing their hot scoring ways that hit an uptick when Matthews went down to injury. Marner had two goals and 16 assists in the 14 games Matthews missed, Tavares eight goals seven assists.
Patrick Marleau had the other Leafs goal. Melker Karlsson, Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks.
GAME READY
Matthews really doesn’t seem to like time off and it’s opposing goalies that feel the brunt of his pent-up frustration.
Matthews has scored in the first game of each of his three seasons, and each of the four times he has returned to the lineup from injury.
He set up Marleau for the game’s first goal at 3:38, and scored one himself at 11:19, also in the first period.
“Feels like forever,” Matthews said of his time off before the game. “Just nice to be back with the team.”
He also scored in the third, tipping an Andreas Johnsson shot. The goal had been initially announced as Johnsson’s.
POWER PLAY
If there was one part of the Leafs game that was lacking while Matthews was sidelined, it was the power play. It had gone 7-for-34, or about 20 per cent. Prior to his injury, the power play had been 9for-28, or 32 per cent. And as if by magic, Matthews’ return put the advantage back into the man-advantage. The Leafs scored on their first three power plays, with Matthews setting up one and scoring another.
The Leafs went 3-for-4 on the power play, the Sharks 2-for-3.
GRUDGE MATCH
The Sharks seemed to lose their minds on Nov. 15 when the Leafs visited San Jose, going after Nazem Kadri from the opening faceoff. It cost them. The Leafs won. And Kadri had a great game. It had something to do with a Kadri’s fight last season against Joe Thornton, when Kadri yanked Thornton’s beard while falling to the ice.
There were no hints of any bad blood Wednesday. Thornton tried to put the whole thing to rest, saying he had no issues — “none at all” — with Kadri. He had a bit of a smile on his face when he said it.
Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said he hoped Kadri had learned his lesson. Looked more like the Sharks learned their lesson by leaving Kadri alone. He was just one of four Leaf forwards left without a point.