VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander each scored twice and the NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Saturday night.
After Toronto tied it at 4 early in the third period, J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson scored power-play goals to put it away. Thatcher Demko made 44 saves to help Vancouver improve to 31-11-4 and take a one-point advantage over East-leading Boston.
“We found a way to win,” said defenseman Quinn Hughes, who had three assists. “Our power play found a way.”
William Nylander scored twice for Toronto to reach 200 for his career. Jake McCabe and Mitch Marner also scored and Martin Jones stopped 15 shots. The Maple Leafs fell to 22-14-8.
After Marner tied it at 4 on a short-handed breakaway at 3:13 of the third, Miller put the Canucks back on top at 7:11, tipping Hughes’ shot from the point past Jones. Pettersson connected 3 1/2 minutes later, sliding in a pass from Miller.
“I was really thrilled with the way we were able to stick with it,” Demko said. “In the last couple of years that would be something that might deflate us, we might not have the ability to come back and win that game. I’m really proud of the group.”
Down 3-0 deficit after the first period, the Maple Leafs scored three goals — two from Nylander — in less than four minutes in the second. Garland added his second of the game late in the period.
“We got belief in this team. We came in here as a group and knew that was pretty pathetic,” Marner said about the first-period showing. “So we knew this game, and the pace of this game, was going to be very high and very competitive and we didn’t bring it in the first period and I like our response in the second.”
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: At Seattle on Sunday night.
Canucks: Host Chicago on Monday night.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
