Maple Leafs beat Kings 4-1 for 5th straight win

Maple Leafs beat Kings 4-1 for 5th straight win

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:24 p.m. ET

TORONTO (AP) — Garret Sparks made 33 saves in a surprise start, Kasperi Kapanen scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 Monday night for their fifth straight win.

Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner also scored to help Toronto win for the sixth time in seven games. Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner each added two assists.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored for the Kings, who have lost four of six (2-3-1). Jack Campbell stopped 21 shots for Los Angeles.

Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock announced Sparks as the game's starter ahead of No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen after the morning skate. Toronto then announced about 2 1/2 hours before puck drop that Andersen has a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

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PREDATORS 4, WILD 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban each had two assists, and Nashville won for the fifth time in six games.

Craig Smith, Mattias Ekholm, Filip Forsberg and Miikka Salomaki scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne finished with 29 saves.

Minnesota lost for the fourth time in five games. Mikko Koivu had a goal and an assist for the Wild, and Matt Dumba also scored.

Alex Stalock finished with 24 saves for the Wild in his first start of the season.

CANADIENS 7, RED WINGS 3

MONTREAL (AP) — Jonathan Drouin scored twice, Tomas Plekanec had a goal in his 1,000th game, and Montreal beat winless Detroit.

Tomas Tatar, Brendan Gallagher, Charles Hudon and Paul Byron also scored for the Canadiens. With Carey Price still out with the flu, backup goalie Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots for his second consecutive victory.

Andreas Athanasiou had two goals and Thomas Vanek also scored for the rebuilding Wings, who are 0-4-2 for their worst start in franchise history.

Jimmy Howard gave up five goals on 20 shots before being replaced by Jonathan Bernier in the second period. Bernier finished with 13 saves.

The Red Wings, who were coming off an 8-2 loss to Boston, have now allowed an NHL-worst 29 goals over six games.

SENATORS 4, STARS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Craig Anderson made 37 saves to lead Ottawa past Dallas.

Maxime Lajoie scored in the second period, and Brady Tkachuk, Mikkel Boedker and Zack Smith all tallied in the third for the Senators.

John Klingberg had the lone goal for Dallas, which was playing its first road game after opening the season with four at home. Ben Bishop made 21 saves while losing in regulation against Ottawa for the first time (9-1-4) in his career.

With the score tied 1-1, the Senators went ahead for good early in the third as Dylan DeMelo put a shot on goal and Tkachuk, right in front, redirected it past Bishop at 1:27.

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