Max Pacioretty scored two goals and added an assist to help the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday night.
William Nylander also scored, and John Tavares recorded two assists for the Maple Leafs, who won their second consecutive game.
Toronto’s goalie Anthony Stolarz played only the first period due to a lower-body injury, making seven saves on eight shots. Joseph Woll replaced him in the second period and stopped 19 shots.
For the Ducks, Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist, while Frank Vatrano scored, and Ryan Strome added two assists. Lukas Dostal made 30 saves for Anaheim, which lost its fifth straight game. The Ducks were playing their third game in four nights.
Toronto led 2-1 after the first period. Pacioretty scored at 6:57 with a backhand, thanks to a clever pass from Tavares. At 14:17, Nylander scored his 18th goal of the season after Pacioretty passed him the puck.
Vatrano tied it up for Anaheim on a power play at 15:56 with a shot through traffic that hit the post. LaCombe made the assist from the left point, with Simon Benoit in the penalty box for holding.
Pacioretty then gave Toronto a 3-1 lead at 12:54 of the second period by tipping in Conor Timmins’ point shot. LaCombe responded just over a minute later, scoring from the slot on a pass from Strome.
In the third period, Toronto’s Auston Matthews hit the post with a shot at 9:25, and Anaheim’s Alex Killorn missed an opportunity from close range at 11:41.
The Ducks didn’t pull Dostal for an extra attacker until the final minute of the game.
Jake McCabe, who had missed five games due to an upper-body injury, returned for Toronto and had one assist. Anaheim also activated Robby Fabbri, who had been out for 13 games with a knee injury. Fabbri did not score in his return, and Sam Colangelo was sent to the AHL.
