Marincin's rare goal helps Maple Leafs beat Canucks

TORONTO (AP) Martin Marincin scored a rare goal to put Toronto ahead in the third period, and the Maple Leafs beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Saturday night.

Frederik Gauthier, Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman also scored to help the Maple Leafs win for the fourth time in five games. Frederik Andersen stopped 25 shots in his seventh straight start as Toronto increased its lead to five points on Florida -- which lost to Chicago in a shootout ---for third place in the Atlantic Division.

Tyler Motte and Tanner Pearson had goals for Vancouver, which came in six points behind first-place Vegas in the Pacific Division. Thatcher Demko finished with 26 saves.

Marincin, who entered the night with four career goals in 223 games, got his first of the season and only his second since 2016-17 just 18 seconds into the third. He grabbed his own rebound off the post and beat Demko glove side to put Toronto up 3-2.

Kasperi Kapanen nearly put the game away for the Maple Leafs with just over eight minutes to go, but Demko went post to post to rob him with his left pad and keep it a one-goal game.

Andersen made his biggest stop of the night with 4:50 remaining when he got a pad down on J.T. Miller off a rebound.

Hyman followed soon after with an empty-netter, his 21st goal of the season, to seal the win.

Both goalies had rough starts by combining to allow four goals on seven shots in the first 10 minutes of the game before settling in.

Gauthier opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game on Toronto's first shot, taking a pass from Rasmus Sandin and snapping it blocker side on Demko from the top of the right face-off circle.

Motte responded for Vancouver at 5:28 after a strong forecheck. Jay Beagle won a puck battle behind the net and put a pass out front to Brandon Sutter, who slid the puck over to Motte at the side of an open net for an easy tap in.

Matthews restored the lead for the Maple Leafs only 57 seconds later when he cruised down the left wing and snapped it five-hole on Demko from a bad angle. It was Matthews' 45th, moving him two behind Boston's David Pastrnak for the league lead.

Pearson drew the Canucks even again with 8:58 to go in the first, putting home a rebound from the side of the crease.

Toronto's William Nylander had the best scoring chance of the second period when he got a step on Vancouver's Quinn Hughes for a half break before the rookie defenseman forced him to lose control of the puck and slide into the post.

NOTES: The Canucks scratched Jordie Benn, Zack MacEwen, Micheal Ferland (concussion), Josh Leivo (knee), Tyler Graovac (lower-body), Brock Boeser (rib), Jacob Markstrom (lower-body). ... Toronto scratched Timothy Liljegren, Ilya Mikheyev (wrist laceration), Morgan Rielly (fractured foot), Cody Ceci (ankle), Andreas Johnsson (meniscus), Jake Muzzin (broken hand).

UP NEXT

Canucks: At Columbus on Sunday night before opening a four-game homestand.

Maple Leafs: At San Jose on Tuesday night to open a three-game California trip.