Van Riemsdyk’s hat trick powers Leafs
TORONTO 6, NASHVILLE 2
TORONTO — James van Riemsdyk led the way with a hat trick and an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the visiting Nashville Predators, 6-2, in National Hockey League action Tuesday night.
Mitch Marner had a goal and two helpers while Leo Komarov and William Nylander also found the back of the net for the Maple Leafs (7-6-3), who are 6-2-0 at Air Canada Centre. Tyler Bozak chipped in with three assists.
James Neal and Viktor Arvidsson scored for the Predators (6-6-3), who had their three-game win streak halted.
Frederik Andersen made 31 saves for Toronto while Marek Mazanec stopped 26 of 32 shots for Nashville.
Marner fought off a check behind the net from Ryan Ellis, curled out from the corner and put a wrist shot from near the faceoff dot past a screened Mazanec just 1:04 into the game.
Van Riemsdyk carried the puck over Nashville’s blue line and beat Mazanec glove side with a snap shot for a two-goal lead at 14:04.
Toronto’s defence pairing of Matt Hunwick and Martin Marincin were left watching on Nashville’s first goal. Ryan Johansen made a perfect cross-crease pass to Neal, who tapped it in with 2:37 to play in the opening period.
Auston Matthews had a great chance to snap his nine-game goalless drought soon after Nashville’s power play expired, but put his wrist shot right into the chest of Mazanec.
Toronto made it 3-1 on a play that started off harmlessly. Bozak threw the puck toward the net from the corner and van Riemsdyk beat his man to the front of the net to deflect the puck over the leg of Mazanec.
Arvidsson finally finished one of his many opportunities with 3:51 left in the second, beating Andersen low glove side on a breakaway after Jake Gardiner and Roman Polak were caught at Nashville’s blue line on a Toronto turnover.
Shots were 26-21 Toronto through 40 minutes. Komarov restored a two-goal lead 7:18 into the third period, tipping a Marincin point shot past a screened Mazanec.
Van Riemsdyk capped his hat trick off a scramble draw at 7:38 of the third. Bozak was able to tie up the centreman and Marner poked the puck to van Riemsdyk, who slid a backhand past Mazanec.
Less than two minutes after van Riemsdyk scored Nylander added another. NOTES: Forward Peter Holland and defencemen Connor Carrick and Frank Corrado were scratches for the Leafs . ... Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.