Tavares scores twice in Maple Leafs win against Canucks
via NHL.com
John Tavares had two goals and an assist for the Toronto Maples Leafs in a 4-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.
Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 38 saves for Toronto (15-13-5), which has won the first two games of a four-game road trip. Justin Holl and Mitchell Marner each had two assists.
The Maple Leafs are 6-3-0 since coach Sheldon Keefe replaced Mike Babcock as coach on Nov. 20.
Josh Leivo scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves for Vancouver (15-12-4), which tried to win three in a row for the second time this season.
Matthews gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead 1:45 into the second period after Holl’s point shot went wide. Tavares got the puck below the goal line and made a blind backhand pass to Matthews at the top edge of the crease for a quick shot over Markstrom’s left pad.
It was Matthews’ third goal in two games after going five games without a goal.
Tavares, who was held without a point the previous three games, made it 2-0 with 19 seconds left in the period when he redirected Cody Ceci’s point shot in the slot.
Anderson made two saves against Brock Boeser on breakaways in the third period before Leivo scored on a rebound scramble at 11:14 to make it 2-1.
Andersen made another save on a breakaway from Bo Horvat at 12:49, and Tavares made it 3-1 at 14:58 with a wrist shot under Markstrom’s blocker from the right face-off circle.
Hyman scored into an empty net with 1:44 left for the 4-1 final.
Canucks forward Micheal Ferland, who was playing his second game back after missing 17 with a concussion, left after one shift in the second period because of an upper-body injury.
Worth staying up late for.
Here are tonight's @OntarioLottery Game Winning Numbers. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/JeMlvt7FpX
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 11, 2019
Only one active player has required fewer games to score 100 even-strength goals than @AM34. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/jmVMXh4iXR
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 11, 2019
👏 38 saves for Freddie tonight 👏#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/i73bZMmOBW
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 11, 2019