Martin Jones made 31 saves to help the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs end a three-game losing streak with a 3–0 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
It was the second shutout of the season and 30th of his NHL career for Jones, moving him into a tie with the Kings’ Cam Talbot and the Washington Capitals’ Darcy Kuemper for seventh among active NHL goalies.
William Nylander scored two goals, Calle Jarnkrok scored the other and Tyler Bertuzzi had two primary assists for the Maple Leafs.
Talbot made 26 saves for the Kings, who have lost three in a row for the second time in less than a month and were shut out for the first time this season.
Los Angeles also failed to score over the final two periods and overtime in a 3–2 shootout loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
Nylander gave the Maple Leafs a 1–0 lead at 5:13 of the second period.
Los Angeles won a faceoff in its zone, but Maple Leafs center John Tavares stole the puck from Kevin Fiala along the wall and fed it to Bertuzzi cutting to the net.
Bertuzzi got to the puck just as it reached the goal line to the right of the net, then made a backhand touch pass to Nylander in the slot, and Nylander scored with a one-timer.
Jarnkrok scored 11 seconds after Toronto’s second power play expired to extend the lead to 2–0 at 8:14 of the second.
The Kings again lost possession in their zone when Max Domi took the puck from Drew Doughty.
Bertuzzi battled to retain possession along the opposite wall before flipping a centering pass to Jarnkrok, who was left alone in the slot, and he lifted a backhand into the net.
The Kings began mixing up their lines midway through the second period and Los Angeles outshot the Maple Leafs 9–2 over the final seven minutes but they couldn’t get one past Jones, who made his NHL debut with the Kings in December 2013.
Nylander scored into an empty net with one minute left to make it 3–0. He has 19 goals and 50 points in 35 games this season.
