San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Joe Pavelski potted a pair of goals and added an assist in the San Jose Sharks' 6-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at SAP Center.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Tommy Wingels, Brent Burns and Marty Havlat each scored once, while Joe Thornton notched three assists for the Sharks, who have won three straight games to move within two points of the idle Anaheim Ducks atop the Pacific Division.
"We were all over them, all game," said Vlasic. "They played last night, tough game, so we wanted to jump all over them and I thought we played 60 minutes."
Antti Niemi made 19 saves in the triumph.
Jake Gardiner registered both Toronto tallies, while James Reimer allowed all six goals on 48 shots for the Leafs, who had a three-game win streak halted.
"I thought we did a lot of things that gave them a lot of opportunities, specifically turning the puck over," said Toronto head coach Randy Carlyle.
After Vlasic and Gardiner exchanged markers 25 seconds apart less than five minutes into the game, the Sharks scored four straight goals to seize control of the contest.
Burns started the rally at 11:04 of the first, as he lifted the stick of Toronto's Phil Kessel in the slot before wheeling around and rifling the disc through a scrum in front for a 2-1 lead. The goal was originally waved off, but video review showed the puck clearly found the back of the net.
Wingels and Pavelski scored 1:19 apart early in the second to extend the margin. Wingels tipped in a right point shot from Justin Braun at 6:54 before Pavelski ripped a wrister past Reimer from the right circle at 8:13.
Pavelski made it 5-1 early in the third, burying a wrister from the low left side off a slick cross-ice feed from Jason Demers at 4:26.
Gardiner scored shorthanded at 14:56 to bring the Leafs within three, but Havlat put home a backhand amid a scrum in front under two minutes later to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Pavelski posted his 400th career point with his first goal ... Toronto dropped to 13-13-7 on the road, while San Jose improved to 25-4-4 at home this season ... Toronto's Cody Franson missed the game due to an illness ... Mason Raymond tallied two assists for the Leafs ... Wingels added an assist, while James Sheppard recorded two helpers for the Sharks.
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