Looking to bounce back after having a three-game win streak snapped Saturday in Boston, the Maple Leafs took the ice at Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday playing like a team laser-focused on getting back to the win column.

The Kings are a struggling squad with a new head coach in Willie Desjardins, and although they've got a slew of players who've achieved big things in hockey's top league, L.A. were not in top form as the Buds struck early and often.

KADRI NETS FIRST OF BOOKENDED GOALS, KICKS OFF LEAFS' POWER PLAY DOMINANCE

The Leafs had a three-game win streak snapped Saturday in Boston, but from the moment Toronto's players took the ice at Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday, they played like a team laser-focused on getting back to the win column. The Kings are a struggling squad with a new head coach in Willie Desjardins, and although they've got a slew of players who've achieved big things in hockey's top league, L.A. were not in top form as the Buds mauled them.

Toronto pressured the Kings into taking a penalty just 1:15 into the first period, and the Leafs capitalized on the power play - something that would repeat itself often in this game - when centre Nazem Kadri tapped in a perfect pass from winger Mitch Marner at the 2:42 mark:

Video: TOR@LAK: Kadri finishes tic-tac-toe for PPG

The power play marker was the sixth goal of the season (and the sixth in his past nine games) for Kadri, and it was the first of two goals he'd score against L.A. Tuesday. Kadri is flourishing right now, finding the net with pinpoint precision and benefitting from the creative brilliance of Marner.

The Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has recalled forward Trevor Moore from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

TAVARES SCORES GAME'S FIRST GOAL AS LEAFS CLAMP DOWN ON DEVILS' FORWARDS

Toronto's defence has been impressive of late, and it was in fine form as Friday's game against the Devils began: the Leafs prevented New Jersey from getting a shot on goaltender Frederik Andersen until nearly seven minutes into the first period, and the Buds outshot the visitors 15-7 in the first 20 minutes of play.

That commitment to defence paid off in the middle of the first, when Toronto got a golden opportunity and made the most of it to register the first goal of the night:

Video: NJD@TOR: Tavares pots Hainsey's dish to open scoring

The scoring sequence began when D-man Morgan Rielly got the puck to fellow blueliner Ron Hainsey, and Hainsey took a half-second to recognize centre John Tavares was wide open to the right side of Devils netminder Keith Kinkaid. Hainsey deftly slid the puck over to Tavares, who knocked it into the net for his ninth goal of the season and a 1-0 Leafs lead at 12:24 of the period.

Tavares' goal was the only one scored in the opening frame, which was dominated by the Leafs. Toronto carried a two-game win streak into Friday's matchup, and their confidence and trust in each other was readily apparent throughout the night.

 

At the start of this season, the Maple Leafs were winning games by carving out a lot of offence - and allowing a little fewer goals - than did their opponents. In its past six games, Toronto has built a record of 4-2-0, but only once in that span have the blue & white given up more than two goals. That's more like the type of hockey head coach Mike Babcock wants to see, but as the Buds prepare to host New Jersey at Scotiabank Arena Friday night, Leafs players and coaches believe there's room for growth at both ends of the ice.

The Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has loaned forward Trevor Moore to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

BROWN PUTS LEAFS ON TOP EARLY IN FIRST, ANDERSEN CONTINUES STELLAR PLAY IN NET

The Leafs have been intent on performing better in front of their home crowd, and that's just what they did Tuesday hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Although Toronto had issues scoring the first goal of the game of late, winger Connor Brown got the Buds on the board first when he took control of the puck in the slot in front of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and beat the veteran netminder with a wrist shot at 5:30 of the opening period:

Video: VGK@TOR: Brown steals puck, beats Fleury

Brown's goal was his second of the season. And Leafs head coach Mike Babcock got what has become the usual stellar performance from goalie Frederik Andersen, who kept the pressing Knights at bay despite them outshooting Toronto 13-8 in the first 20 minutes of action. 
 

LEAFS SCORE ALL-IMPORTANT FIRST GOAL

The Maple Leafs reversed recent fortunes on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, following through on a focus stressed at morning skate and scoring first against a Pens team that was leading the Metropolitan Division. It was John Tavares who first registered on the scoresheet Saturday, deflecting a Mitch Marner shot through traffic and past Penguins goalie Matt Murray: Video: TOR@PIT: Tavares redirects Marner's shot past Murray

Tavares' eighth goal of the season was the only goal of the opening frame, but the fact the Leafs had it and were leading coming out of the first intermission was an important development for Toronto as it focused on keeping intact its perfect road record (5-0-0).

The Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has recalled forward Trevor Moore from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

LEAFS STRUGGLED TO SCORE IN DEFENSIVE DUEL THROUGH FIRST TWO PERIODS

In what has become a pattern in their recent home games, the Leafs were unable to generate any offence through the first two periods of play - and although goaltender Frederik Andersen and the back-checking of winger Mitch Marner were two big reasons Toronto was able to keep Dallas off the scoresheet for nearly all of the first 40 minutes of play Thursday, you can't keep a talented group like the Stars scoreless all the time.