Muzzin scores first goal with Maple Leafs in win against Ducks

TORONTO -- Jake Muzzin scored his first goal since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs and had two assists in a 6-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

It was Muzzin's first three points with the Maple Leafs after being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 28.
"Good team, good coaching, good plan and it's easy to follow," Muzzin said. "It's very clear on how we're supposed to play and that's how we're playing. Especially with Morgan Rielly, having a good partner helps out as well.
"Coming here, I didn't know what to expect with media and hockey and everything in general. I'm very pleased with how it's going, hopefully it continues."
WATCH: [All Ducks vs. Maple Leafs highlights]
Andreas Johnsson had two goals and two assists, William Nylander and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist and Frederik Andersen made 24 saves for Toronto (32-17-3), which has a four-game point streak (3-0-1).
Rickard Rakell scored for Anaheim (21-23-9), which has been outscored 23-5 during a four-game losing streak. John Gibson was pulled after allowing five goals on 30 shots; Chad Johnson made eight saves.

"We're in a situation here where we are clawing and we are desperate," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "There's no reward for any work we are putting in right now. That's the tough part of pro sports. I think we expect more from our group and I can tell you right now they expect more from themselves."
The Maple Leafs took a 1-0 lead at 3:02 of the second period when Tavares took a pass from Johnsson and shot over Gibson's blocker from the left faceoff dot for his 31st goal of the season.
Johnsson made 2-0 at 13:40 when he put in a rebound from Muzzin's point shot.
"He's a good player; he's got tenacity," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said of Johnsson. "He makes people mad out there, which I like. He goes in the hard areas. He's not scared to go in the hard areas, and that's why he has the puck a lot. Obviously he had himself a good night."
Muzzin scored on the power play at 19:57 to make it 3-0 when he one-timed Jake Gardiner's feed past Gibson after Patrick Marleau won a face-off against Ryan Kesler.

"I'm sure it feels nice to contribute on the board, but he makes great plays defensively and helping me out," Andersen said of Muzzin. "It's great and I'm sure it's something that builds confidence and you can keep going with that and feel more confident here quickly."
Rakell made it 3-1 at 2:45 of the third period when he took a pass from Hampus Lindholm and beat Andersen from the right circle.
But the Maple Leafs restored the three-goal lead at 3:16 when Nylander got around Cam Fowler and passed to Connor Brown at the top of the goal crease to make it 4-1.
"We get that first one in the third period thinking we're going to be building, coming back, and then a minute later they scored," Ducks defenseman Josh Manson said. "That was it. It was like the tent just kind of folded."
Nylander ended an 11-game goal drought when he put the Maple Leafs up 5-1 at 6:04.

Johnsson scored his second of the game at 14:51 for the 6-1 final. He has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his past 16 games.
"I wasn't happy with the first half I've been having, but second half I feel like I'm playing at a level I want to be at," Johnsson said. "I would say it is mental confidence."

They said it

"This [stinks]; I'd rather not talk at all. It's the same thing over and over again. It's just sad. During my whole time I've been here, it's always been a successful team where we're tough to play against. Obviously that's not the case right now and I have to be part of turning this around, because we don't have much time left." -- Ducks forward Rickard Rakell
"He's a big body, he knows how to play. You don't win two Stanley Cups by accident; you know how to play. He's really good in his own zone, denies the back, makes a good outlet pass. He's a big body and plays real hard between the whistles. Obviously with his experience and the kind of man he is, he's going to make us a better team. -- Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock on defenseman Jake Muzzin

Need to know

Kesler returned after missing five games because of a lower-body injury. … Rakell has four goals in his past eight games. … Andersen won his 94th game with the Maple Leafs, passing Ed Belfour for sole possession of ninth place on their all-time wins list for goaltenders.

What's next

Ducks: At the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, KCOP-13, NHL.TV)
Maple Leafs: Host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN, SN360, TVAS, NHL.TV)