Mitch Marner has hat trick, shootout winner in Maple Leafs' 4-3 victory over Kraken
TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner had his second career hat trick and added the shootout winner in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night.
Wearing a full shield and cage after taking a puck to the jaw against Florida on Tuesday night, Marner ended an eight-game goal drought with the offensive flurry. He also scored three goals against Detroit on Feb. 26, 2022.
“I haven’t been happy with my own game,” Marner said. “Haven’t been my best.”
Auston Matthews also scored in the shootout and had two assists to help Toronto improve to 12-6-3. Joseph Woll made 37 saves.
“There’s more space out there, guys are making plays,” Woll said. “Just trying to enjoy it.”
Jared McCann scored twice for Seatttle. Eeli Tolvanen added a goal and Philipp Grubauer stopped 25 shots.
“We were the better team … I call it as I see it,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Thought we deserved a better outcome.”
Marner opened the scoring at 6:34 of the first period on a power play off a nice pass from William Nylander. Marner made it 2-0 21 seconds into the second on a one-timer that took a deflection right as a Seattle penalty was expiring.
McCann cut it to 2-1 on a power play at 3:37 of the second.
Marner completed the hat trick with 3:59 left in the second with his eighth goal of the season, taking a breakaway pass from Jake McCabe and beating Grubauer with a high shot.
Seattle rallied in the third, with Tolvanen scoring off a rush at 6:15 and McCann tying it with 6:36 to go.
Woll made three huge stops in the extra period for Toronto, the best on Jordan Eberle to force the shootout.
“They’re a hard forechecking team,” Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe said. “They tilted the ice a little bit. Woller kept us in it.”
UP NEXT
Kraken: At Ottawa on Saturday night.
Maple Leafs: Host Boston on Saturday night.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
