MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
Pittsburgh, Malkin outlast Leafs, MARKETPLACE, S8 DEATHS, S10
The Pittsburgh Penguins look like they’re gearing up for another run at the Stanley Cup.
Even the Maple Leafs have to acknowledge that much after the Penguins, who have won back-to-back titles, rolled to a 5-3 win over Toronto on Saturday in a battle of two of the NHL’s hottest teams.
Defenceman Olli Maatta played the hero and villain, scoring the winner for Pittsburgh in the third period, but also driving Zach Hyman into the boards on a tough check that forced the Leafs forward from the game temporarily.
Connor Brown, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Marleau — with his 20th goal of the season, the 15th time he has reached 20 in his career — scored for Toronto in the entertaining, see-saw battle.
The Leafs kept Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel off the scoreboard, but Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists as the Penguins won their 11th game in a row at home, the PPG Paints Arena.
The Leafs saw their five-game winning streak end when Bryan Rust scored late in the third to put the game away.
Before the game, Leafs coach Mike Babcock acknowledged the surging Penguins.
“When you’re a veteran team and you’ve done a lot of winning, you can get by and then, as you crank it up going into the playoffs . . . I think that’s what is probably going on over there just through my experience,” Babcock told reporters in Pittsburgh.
The Leafs gave up the game’s first goal for the first time since Feb. 3, but finished the first period tied 2-2.
Pittsburgh’s Carl Hagelin scored on a deflection moments after Hyman was robbed by Matt Murray.
But Brown, with his first goal in 13 games, and Bozak, with his first in 17 games, gave the Leafs the lead before Malkin tied it with his 900th career point.
The second period ended tied 3-3, with Penguins rookie Zach AstonReece and Marleau exchanging goals. NOTES: Defenceman Jake Gardiner recovered enough from back spasms suffered Wednesday to dress and keep alive his team ironman streak, now at 215 games, dating back to Oct. 30, 2015 . . . The Leafs have lost 76 man games to injury this season . . . Tyler Bozak moved to 24th in all-time scoring with the Leafs, passing Busher Jackson and Red Kelly, each at 351 points for Toronto. Bozak moved to 352.