The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their winning ways as they seized on offensive chances early and relied on some spectacular goaltending from Jonathan Bernier to earn a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, AZ on Monday.
Jake Gardiner, Phil Kessel. Carl Gunnarsson and Nazem Kadri scored for the Leafs and Bernier, who was named the first star of the contest, made 39 saves in Toronto’s fifth straight win.
Mike Ribiero and Antoine Vermette scored goals in a third period comeback that fell short for the Coyotes, while Team Canada seclection Mike Smith made 25 saves in defeat.
The two clubs played a quick-paced opening twenty minutes exchanging offensive chances. Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner was the center of attention late in the period, as his defensive zone error nearly resulted in the Coyotes getting on the scoreboard, but moments later the slick-skating defenseman jumped in front of the net and wristed the puck past Smith to put the Blue and White out in front.
Toronto lengthened their lead to 2-0 on the power play before the first was completed, as Kessel worked his way to the top of the faceoff circle and fired a wrist shot past a screened Smith.
The Leafs took a commanding 3-0 lead early in the middle frame on a delayed penalty call, as Gunnarsson headed to the front of the net and converted a pass from defense partner Dion Phaneuf for his first goal in nearly a calendar year.
The game looked as if the visitors were going to run away and hide, but Phoenix’s sense of desperation and the Leafs recurrent complacency resulted in them being outshot 15-6, but Bernier was equal to the task, including a post-to-post stop on Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The Coyotes in the Leafs zone in the second period of Toronto's 4-2 win in Phoenix on Monday.
The Coyotes finally penetrated the armor of the Leafs goaltender just over five minutes into the third, as veteran Mike Ribiero scored on the power play to narrow the lead to 3-1, but Toronto responded late in regulation with their own tally with the man advantage, as Kadri scored for the first time in 12 games to reestablish their three goal lead. That lasted a whole 49 seconds, as Antoine Vermette scored short-handed to cut the lead to two once again, but the Leafs held on for their 26th victory of the year.
“Tonight we did a lot of good things early in the hockey game and then we reverted back to some the old habits that we’ve displayed.” Coach Randy Carlyle said after the game. “I think we’re making individual mistakes like turnovers with the puck which shouldn’t be made in these areas.”
Toronto has 57 points and moves to within two points of the idle Montreal Canadiens for a top three spot in the Atlantic Division standings. The Leafs face the Colorado Avalanche in Denver in the second of back-to-back games on Tuesday.
James Reimer is expected to get the start in goal for the Leafs.
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