Marleau goal helps Maple Leafs, Andersen defeat Ducks

ANAHEIM-- Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday.

Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen made 28 saves in his first game in Anaheim since he was traded by the Ducks to the Maple Leafs on June 20, 2016.
"I think last year was a little more special. Even though I didn't play, just having that first one out of the way, I think it made me able to focus on playing tonight," he said.
WATCH: [All Maple Leafs vs. Ducks highlights]
Connor Brown and Leo Komarov scored, and Ron Hainsey had two assists for Toronto (8-5-0).
"It was a rough patch for us and we talked about just working our way out of it," Marleau said. "I think guys put in the work tonight and we got the result."

Ondrej Kase scored, and John Gibson made 27 saves for Anaheim (6-5-1).
Marleau broke a 1-1 tie at 1:09 of the third period after Hainsey intercepted a clearing pass inside the blue line and took a shot. The puck glanced off Anaheim defensemen Sami Vatanen and Jaycob Megna, and fell at the feet of Marleau, who backhanded it past Gibson for his fifth goal of the season and 100th NHL game-winner.
"I've been around a while I guess," Marleau said. "It's pretty cool to say you've got 100 of them, so hopefully there's a lot more where that came from."
The Ducks appeared to tie it 2-2 with 1:38 left when a rebound went off the skate of Anaheim forward Jakob Silfverberg and into the net, but it was immediately ruled he used a kicking motion and the call was upheld by video review.

"I kind of saw the replay and knew they were leaning towards disallowing it, but you never know," Silfverberg said. "They watched the video and I'm sure they made the right call, but in a situation like that, it's in tight and you never really know what happens, and I guess it could have gone either way."
Komarov scored an empty-net goal eight seconds later to make it 3-1.
The Maple Leafs, who lead the NHL with 21 goals in the first period, took a 1-0 lead 7:54 into the game on a goal by Brown.
The play began when Hainsey poked the puck off the stick of Anaheim forward Corey Perry just inside the Toronto blue line. That set up a 2-on-1 with Brown slightly ahead of linemate James van Riemsdyk, who slid the puck to Brown as he approached the crease. Brown redirected it between Gibson's pads for his fourth goal.
The Ducks tied it 1-1 at 9:09 of the first on Kase's fifth goal in nine games. He received the puck as his momentum carried him away from the net and into the left face-off circle. Just before he reached the sidewall, he spun and shot the puck, which went past Ducks forward Nick Ritchie in front of the crease and caromed in off Maple Leafs defenseman Andreas Borgman's right skate.

Maple Leafs defenseman Nikita Zaitsev received his second minor penalty of the first period with 1:05 left, and Gibson made a lunging poke save on a shorthanded attempt by forward Zach Hyman with 22 seconds remaining to keep the game tied.
The Ducks hit the post or crossbar three times in the second period, and Auston Matthews, Toronto's leading goal-scorer with nine, hit the left post on a breakaway early in the period.
"That was our strong point of the game," Silfverberg said. "That's when we moved the puck and moved our feet and we gave them some trouble, so we've got to get back and play the way we did in the second."

Goal of the game

Marleau's goal at 1:09 of the third period.

Save of the game

Gibson's shorthanded save on Hyman at 19:38 of the first period.

Highlight of the game

Brown's goal at 7:54 of the first period.

They said it

"I don't think it was a complete game, but we found a way to get a win and we did a lot of good things, so we have to take a step forward again tomorrow against a [Los Angeles Kings] team that has played very well all year long." -- Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk
"You kill your momentum when you get pucks turned over and feed the rush for those quick forwards on Toronto. We kind of got it back in the second period after the goal. We started battling and playing hard, but in the third we came out flat-footed." -- Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm

Need to know

The Maple Leafs went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill to improve to 37-for-44 on the season (84.1 percent, tied for eighth in NHL). … Ducks forward Antoine Vermette won 14 of 22 face-offs (64 percent), the ninth time this season he has won at least 60 percent of his draws. … Anaheim forward Derek Grant assisted on Kase's goal and has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past six games.

What's next

Maple Leafs: At the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-W, TSN4, NHL.TV)
Ducks: Host the Nashville Predators on Friday (10 p.m. ET; PRIME, FS-TN, NHL.TV)