Maple Leafs defeat Sharks in six-round shootout

TORONTO-- Tyler Bozak scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

"They're a veteran team, they know how to play, and it looks like it when the game is on the line," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said of the Sharks. "We've got a long way to go and yet it was a big win for us, it was good."
Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri scored, and Frederik Andersen made 33 saves for the Maple Leafs (24-16-2), who ended a three-game losing streak and defeated the Sharks at home for the first time since Jan. 29, 2002.
WATCH: [All Sharks vs. Maple Leafs highlights]
Brenden Dillon and Chris Tierney scored tying goals, and Martin Jones made 26 saves for the Sharks (21-12-5), who had won four of their past five games.
"This is a tough trip, and considering their situation and how desperate they are, they're a good team," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said with two games left on a five-game road trip. "It's a good point, but you leave a little disappointed because I thought we had two or three chances in the third period to get two points and then a couple chances in the shootout and overtime. A little disappointed in that, but we also got a gift in the second period to tie the game, so it all evens out."
San Jose tied it 2-2 with 1:42 left in the second period when Andersen misplayed a shot and put a rebound into the slot for Tierney, who scored to the blocker side.

"You kind of have to have the guys' back," Andersen said. "They were great in the room (in the second intermission) and said right away to just forget about it and they would come to battle for me, which they did. We're good with this team at picking up each other if someone makes a mistake."
Kadri ended a streak of 12 games without a point when Mitchell Marner's shot from the top of the right-wing circle deflected off his foot at 12:40 of the second period on the power play to give Toronto a 2-1 lead. It was Kadri's first point since Nov. 30.
"I just had to stay patient. I'm playing with some great players who are looking for me to try to get me out of that slump," Kadri said. "I was able to just react quick enough to direct that puck towards the net and it happened to go in. Those are the bounces you wait for; that's what you've got to be patient for and positive about, because eventually those plays are going to happen."

Matthews made it 1-0 when he deflected a point shot from Connor Carrick between Jones' pads at 18:37 of the first period.
The Sharks tied it 1-1 31 seconds later when Dillon shot past Andersen, who was sprawling to get across the goal crease. It was the defenseman's first goal in 56 games, dating to Feb. 28, 2017, also against the Maple Leafs.
Matthews scored on the first shootout attempt, and Kevin Labanc kept the tiebreaker going by scoring in the bottom of the third round.

Goal of the game

Bozak's goal in the shootout.

Save of the game

Andersen's save on Joe Pavelski at 6:08 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Marc-Edouard Vlasic denying Patrick Marleau a goal at 7:36 of the second period.

They said it

"We've talked about it coming into the third period with the lead or tied, we want to play the same way. We believe with how we can play, we're not going to give up a ton of chances against anyways. You still have a chance to win, and we're looking for that goal if we get that opportunity. It's not our mindset just to sit and get a point." -- Sharks captain Joe Pavelski
"Nazem is one of the guys on the team who nothing bothers, but when you haven't scored in a while, you know you haven't scored, you like the numbers to go up. Nazem, with the way he plays, helps us every night anyway, whether it be matching up or generating offense." -- Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock

Need to know

Sharks defenseman Brent Burns played 31:16 and had a game-high eight shots. … Andersen played his 100th game with the Maple Leafs; he is 54-28-15 with Toronto.

What's next

Sharks: At the Ottawa Senators on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, NBCSCA, NHL.TV)
Maple Leafs: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SN, NHL.TV)