Sparks gets surprise start, shuts down L.A.

Garret Sparks made 33 saves in a surprise start, Kasperi Kapanen scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 Monday night for their fifth straight win.

Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner also scored to help Toronto win for the sixth time in seven games. Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner each added two assists.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored for the Kings, who have lost four of six (2-3-1). Jack Campbell stopped 21 shots for Los Angeles.

Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock announced Sparks as the game’s starter ahead of No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen after the morning skate. Toronto then announced about 2 ½ hours before puck drop that Andersen has a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day, with Eamon McAdam getting recalled from Newfoundland of the ECHL on an emergency basis.

Toronto got on the scoreboard just 46 seconds in against the Kings when Kapanen banked a shot off Campbell from behind the net for his third goal of the season. Kapanen has all eight of his points (four goals, four assists) since moving into Toronto’s top-6 alongside Matthews and Marleau in a spot originally pegged for William Nylander, who remains in Sweden as his contract impasse drags on. PREDATORS 4, WILD 2 >> Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban each had two assists, and Nashville won for the fifth time in six games.

Alex Stalock finished with 24 saves for the Wild in his first start of the season.

CANADIENS 7, RED WINGS 3 >> Jonathan Drouin scored twice, Tomas Plekanec had a goal in his 1,000th game, and Montreal beat winless Detroit.

With Carey Price still out with the flu, backup goalie Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots for his second consecutive victory.

The Red Wings, who were coming off an 8-2 loss to Boston, have now allowed an NHL-worst 29 goals over six games. SENATORS 4, STARS 1 >> Maxime Lajoie scored in the second period, and Brady Tkachuk, Mikkel Boedker and Zack Smith all tallied in the third for the Senators. PENGUINS’ SCHULTZ TO MISS TIME >> Pittsburgh defenseman Justin Schultz will miss the next four months because of a fractured left leg. Schultz injured the leg in the first period of a shootout loss to Montreal on Saturday after getting tangled up with Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec. The team announced Monday that Schultz underwent surgery Sunday.