TORONTO – Tyler Bozak and the Toronto Maple Leafs made quick work of the weary Washington Capitals.
Bozak scored twice and Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves in Toronto’s 6-2 victory Saturday night. Bozak has five goals and two assists during a four-game points streak.
“It’s nice. The puck is kind of following me around a little bit, playing confident and linemates are making great plays for me,” Bozak said. “Hopefully, it can keep going for a bit.”
The Capitals were coming off a 5-2 home victory over the New York Islanders on Friday night.
“I think tonight we were fortunate that we were playing a team that was coming off a back-to-back and we were able to score the first goal,” Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. “We jumped on a hockey club. That’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re in your own building when you get a team on the back end of a back-to-back.”
Morgan Rielly and Cody Franson scored in the first period, sending Capitals starter Justin Peters to the bench for the second period. Braden Holtby didn’t fare much better, allowing Bozak’s goal on the first shot he faced. David Clarkson then scored to make it 4-1.
“You’re trying to change the momentum after the first, that’s why the goalie change,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “First shift, we turn it over and it ends up in the net. (Holtby) couldn’t do anything one that one. But those are critical moments. Things weren’t going our way. We didn’t have a bad first period in here.”
Bozak added his second of the night in the period.
Peters returned for the third, allowing Joffrey Lupul’s goal.
Troy Brouwer and Tom Wilson scored for Washington.
Before the game, the Maple Leafs honored Pat Quinn. The former Toronto player, head coach and general manager died in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday. He was 71.
Rielly opened the scoring at 14:15 of the first when his point shot hit a couple of Capitals in front of the net before getting past Peters. Franson made it 2-0, on a power play, beating a screened Peters.
With an assist on Franson’s goal, Mike Santorelli picked up his 100th NHL point.
Bozak made it a three-goal lead 23 seconds into the second, tapping home James van Reimsdyk’s feed.
After Brouwer got the Capitals on the board at 10:27 of the second with his sixth of the season, Clarkson restored Toronto’s three-goal edge.
Bozak gave Toronto a 5-1 lead, redirecting Phil Kessel’s feed up and over the shoulder of Holtby for his 11th of the season. The power-play goal tied Bozak with Kessel for the team lead.
Toronto’s power play, which was 1 for 23 entering the game, went 3 for 4.
“It was nice to see that our power play finally came to life and create some offence in the hockey game for us,” Carlyle said. “I thought we played half the game the way we wanted and then we kind of got away from our game, but how do you critique a 6-2 win?”
Leo Komarov took an elbow to the head from Alex Ovechkin early in the third period and did not return.
During a fight with Tom Wilson with 3 minutes remaining in the third, Korbinian Holzer appeared to accidentally strike linesman Steve Miller.
NOTES: In addition to Quinn, the Maple Leafs paid tribute to former player Murray Oliver. He died Sunday in Minnesota at 77. … The Washington Capitals recalled defenseman Steven Oleksy from their AHL affiliate in Hershey on Saturday and placed Mike Green (upper body) on injured reserve.
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