TORONTO (AP) — Max Domi scored the game-winning goal with 8:25 left to end the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 23-game scoreless streak and added an assist to lift the Leafs to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, ending a three-game losing streak.
Domi danced next to Pittsburgh freshman Brett Kulak for the decisive goal, hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave head coach Craig Beruub his second vote of confidence this season.
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William Nylander scored twice and added two assists, while Matias Marcelli and Steven Lorenz also scored for Toronto. Bobby McMann’s empty-net goal gave Toronto its third win over the Penguins this season.
Brian Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, who have lost nine of their past 10 games.
Nylander scored the icebreaker midway through the first period for his first goal in 11 games. But Rust even managed to break away by tying the Penguins 44 seconds later behind Nicolas Roy and Chris Tanev.
Tanev returns after missing 23 games. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a collision in Philadelphia on Nov. 1.
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Toronto shot 31 times to the Penguins’ 32 as Joseph Woll notched his sixth win in 11 starts. Pittsburgh goaltender Stuart Skinner has yet to win a game in three starts since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15 and has scored 12 goals.
One day after assistant coach Mark Savard was fired for leading the Maple Leafs to the NHL’s worst game (12-for-90 shooting, including four shorthanded goals), Toronto went 0-for-2 against Pittsburgh. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde will be tasked with sorting out the team’s power struggles.
Next
Penguins: Visit Chicago on Sunday.
Maple Leafs: Host Ottawa on Saturday.
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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/NHL