Gavin McKenna scored the game-winning goal with under 16 minutes remaining in the third period, lifting the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-1 comeback victory against the San Jose Sharks on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Power Play and Penalty Kill Power Toronto Past San Jose
The game was deadlocked before the youngest player on the roster took a pass from Auston Matthews on his backhand with his back to the net. McKenna executed an inside pivot, three stickhandles, and a low-glove flick to beat the goaltender. The special teams unit powered the comeback, extending a streak where the penalty kill has snuffed 21 straight penalties.
Matthews later said, “It’s on me. Just flush it and move on and focus on the next shift, as hard as that can be sometimes.”
Auston Matthews on McKenna: "He's not shy of the moment at all. You give him a little bit of time and space, like he had there, he's going to make something happen…. Even what happened a couple nights ago, that stuff doesn't shake him. He just keeps churning away…" https://t.co/W7ZrZi0DkY
Teammate and Coach Reactions to the Rookie Phenom
Coach Jim Hiller noted that the teenager handles high-profile expectations with ease. “We’ve talked about Gavin a lot, but he’s just not afraid of the moment, and he enjoys the moment,” Hiller said.
The performance followed a healthy scratch for McKenna during a previous game against Buffalo. Hiller reached out to clarify that the decision was unrelated to player performance, and McKenna responded by logging a season-high 17:56 of ice time against the New York Islanders before delivering the decisive goal against San Jose.
Gavin McKennaFirst #Leafs 18-year-old to score a power play goal since Vince Damphousse on December 7, 1986 vs the Blues
Upcoming Road Matchup Against Columbus
The Maple Leafs immediately boarded a charter flight to Ohio for a Tuesday night matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The contest marks a reunion for Kirill Marchenko in his first meeting against the franchise he asked to be traded from, with Anthony Stolarz scheduled to start in net.
Maple Leafs Defeat Sharks to Snap Losing Skid
What was the final score of the Maple Leafs versus Sharks game?
The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena, snapping a three-game losing skid.
How many consecutive penalties has the Toronto penalty kill stopped?
The penalty kill unit has successfully snuffed 21 straight penalties.
Who assisted on Gavin McKenna’s game-winning goal?
Auston Matthews provided the pass that set up McKenna’s third-period backhand goal.
More on Gavin
McKenna delivers again for #Leafs with the stakes high“He’s not shy of the moment at all.” My @NHLMedia story on the No. 1 who put up his first game winning goal in win over No. 2 pick Stenberg and #SJSharks https://t.co/YNC4XEzPJn
Celebrini, on recent #SJSharks play: "We're not playing bad hockey. We're losing one-goal games, aside from that Boston game, where we still created a lot and probably deserved better. We're in all these games, and it's just the little stuff, the details that have cost us games…”