The San Jose Sharks recorded a 3-1 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, with the Maple Leafs snapping a three-game slide. Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves in the effort, but the team was unable to overcome Toronto's offense.
Gavin McKenna scored the winning goal for Toronto on a third-period power play. The play unfolded at 4:56 of the final period when McKenna retrieved the puck from a group of players and fired it past Askarov. This goal broke a 1-1 tie in the game, with McKenna celebrating by dropping to one knee.
San Jose’s Mason Marchment opened the scoring at 13:54 of the first period. Marchment found himself alone in front of Toronto goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after an error by Auston Matthews in the defensive zone. However, Matthews later made amends for this mistake, equalizing the score with 12 seconds remaining in the second period on a power play. Matthews, Toronto's captain, received a pass from Kirill Marchenko and sent a shot high past Askarov before McKenna's goal put the home side ahead in the third.
Toronto’s Matthews also contributed two assists, adding to his goal. Bobrovsky made 30 saves for the Maple Leafs, securing his first home win. Nick Paul sealed Toronto’s victory with an empty-net goal late in regulation.
The game marked the first encounter between two prominent prospects for the 2026 NHL draft: Toronto's McKenna, projected as the No. 1 pick, and Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg, projected as the No. 2 pick.
Following Monday's result, San Jose's season record stands at 4-4-1. The Maple Leafs improved their record to 4-4-2 with the win, which also helped them rebound from a recent slump, having entered the game with a 0-2-1 record over their last three contests and a 1-2-2 record over their last five.
In other news for the Maple Leafs, star winger William Nylander, who missed the morning skate due to an illness and was initially listed as a game-time decision, was healthy enough to participate in the game. Looking ahead, Toronto is scheduled to visit Matthew Knies in Columbus on Tuesday. This upcoming game will be the first since both teams, Toronto and Columbus, finalized a significant trade involving Kirill Marchenko, Emil Andrae, Elvis Merzlikins, and Miles Wood.
