NHL referee Jordan Samuels-Thomas was the man to signal goal on San Jose Sharks rookie Collin Graf's first career snipe, and the two share a connection to Quinnipiac University.
He won his 200th NHL game on Jan. 5 against Tampa Bay. Tuesday’s victory also leaves him four wins from tying Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the most in franchise history.
John Tavares, Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto, which pulled one point behind first-place Florida in the Atlantic Division. Auston Matthews had three assists and Joseph Woll stopped 23 shots.
Marcus Pettersson, Filip Chytil, Drew O'Connor, and Martin Necas have had important roles since being traded. The Canucks and Avalanche feel the excitement as well.