McKenna’s third-period goal lifts Maple Leafs past Sharks

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Monday, ending a three-game losing streak as rookie Gavin McKenna scored the go-ahead goal in the third period. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots. McKenna’s power-play goal came at 4:56 of the third, breaking a 1-1 tie. He collected a loose puck in front of San Jose’s net and beat Yaroslav Askarov with a low shot for his third professional goal. Nick Paul added an empty-net goal late in regulation. The win followed a difficult stretch for McKenna, who was benched during Toronto’s Oct. 15 game against Buffalo and played 6:36. He logged 17:56 in Saturday’s loss to the New York Islanders, then scored the winner in 11:30 of ice time against San Jose. McKenna said he wanted to focus on the present and make the most of chances in important moments. After scoring, he described himself as “pretty fired up.” Matthews said the rookie continued to press forward after the Buffalo game, while coach Jim Hiller said McKenna remained comfortable under the expectations placed on a high draft pick. Toronto’s captain tied the game with 12 seconds remaining in the second period,...