San Jose Sharks rebound with 2-1 win over Toronto Maple Leafs -NHL Update
San Jose managed to kill off their embarrassing four-game losing streak, especially as it involved losses to a number of low ranked teams, as the Sharks edged Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1, on Thursday night, February 23, 2012, at the sold-out Air Canada Centre
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
On the other hand, as San Jose managed to end their four-game slump, they handed down Toronto their third straight loss due to which Toronto now stands at number nine in the Eastern Conference, below the playoff divisional line.
"I'm quite proud and pleased of the way the guys responded," Sharks coach, Todd McLellan, said. "We had a h**l of a game on our hands. They're a very fast team, but we did some of the things we wanted to."
Florida Panthers took over the final playoff spot with a one point lead over Maple Leafs at 66.
Not having that spot has certainly created panic amongst the Toronto team which is desperately yearning for a win.
"We need a win somehow," Maple Leafs coach, Ron Wilson, said.
Patrick Marleau was the man of the match as he got two straight goals in the second period after both teams failed to get a single point in the opening 20 minutes. Marleau got his first of the night at the 32 seconds mark and potted his 25th of
the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season on their first power play opportunity as Toronto lost Luke Schenn to a minor penalty.
Jake Gardiner made the first for Toronto in the opening minutes of round-three and gave the over 19,000 home crowd some hope of a comeback but failed to add any more in the remaining time.
"Points are extremely important right now, and every game is a big game for us," forward, Tim Connolly, said. "We've got to play that way for a full 60 minutes."
San Jose still sits at number three in the West and has the next in Nashville against Predators on Saturday while Toronto Maple Leafs will be hosting the struggling Washington Capitals on the same day.
Toronto has some ground cover and can be expected to continue struggling for a spot on the postseason bus with their current performance.
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