Hyman, Sparks lift Leafs over Penguins

TORONTO

Zach Hyman snapped a tie late in the second period, Garret Sparks made 28 saves and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night.

Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto, and Travis Dermott had a goal and an assist. Jake Gardiner added two assists.

Sidney Crosby and Teddy Blueger scored for Pittsburgh, which was without Evgeni Malkin for a second straight game because of an upper-body injury. Matt Murray stopped 30 shots.

Toronto, which entered 4-7-1 over its last 12, went ahead with 3:54 left in the second on a slick play by Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner.

The duo worked a give-and-go in tight quarters along the boards before Rielly fired a shot that rebounded to Hyman, who outmuscled defenseman Kris Letang, kicked the puck to his stick as he fell to the ice and pushed in his ninth goal.

Rielly’s assist was his 52nd point, tying his career high from 2017-18.