Needless penalties cost Sharks in loss to Maple Leafs

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News on Oct 19, 2026

Published in Hockey

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TORONTO — The San Jose Sharks asked too much of their penalty kill and, in turn, goalie Yaroslav Askarov, against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.

The Sharks allowed two power-play goals, including a go-ahead goal by rookie winger Gavin McKenna at the 4:56 mark of the third period, in a 3-1 loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

The Sharks led 1-0 after a first-period goal by Mason Marchment but took five minor penalties, including a bench minor for too many men in the second period, before defenseman Luca Cagnoni was called for a blatant cross-check on Leafs forward Brandon Duhaime.

The Leafs capitalized on both, with Auston Matthews tying the game with 11 seconds left in the second and McKenna making a dazzling stickhandling play near the Sharks’ net before beating Askarov for his third goal of the season.

The Sharks allowed an empty-net goal to Nick Paul with 40 seconds left in regulation.

Askarov finished with 28 saves, including three while shorthanded.

The Sharks were coming off a frustrating 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, when they blew a two-goal lead in the final 15 minutes before losing 1-0 in the shootout. They’re now 1-1-1 on a six-game road trip that continues Tuesday night in Montreal.

Marchment scored his second goal in three games at 13:54 in the first period, as the Sharks kept the puck in the Toronto zone shortly after the Leafs killed a penalty on defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Tyler Toffoli then controlled the puck near the boards and fed an open Marchment in front of the Leafs’ net. Marchment then beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a forehand-to-backhand move for his third goal of the season, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Askarov made his first start of the road trip for the Sharks after backing up Alex Nedeljkovic the past two games. Askarov’s numbers this season haven’t been pretty so far, with a 2-3-0 record and an .848 save percentage in five starts.

Askarov started sharp, posting nine first-period saves, including three on the Sharks’ penalty kill.

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky hasn’t been publicly critical of Askarov this season, as some goals against came from poor puck management or allowing repeated high-danger chances.

“Still a young goaltender, still developing,” Warsofsky said of Askarov, “and the time when we can get him on the ice and work with (goalie coach Thomas Speer), we’ll take advantage of it.”

Misa's special night

Sharks center Michael Misa drew a first-period penalty on the Leafs in his first game inside Scotiabank Arena. The Southern Ontario native said he last stepped inside the building “four or five years ago,” when he came to watch Auston Matthews and the Leafs play Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

Naturally, as Misa watched, he thought about playing on that same ice one day. Misa, the second overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, was recovering from a lower-body injury last December when the Sharks visited Toronto during his rookie season.

“I don’t think you think that until it happens,” Misa said Monday. “Obviously you circle Toronto on the schedule. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while.”

Misa, 19, said he bought tickets for 20 to 25 friends and family members for Monday’s game. With the Sharks off on Sunday, Misa got to go home and celebrate a late Canadian Thanksgiving, the U.S. Columbus Day, with his family.

“You’re only here once a year,” Misa said, “so I feel like you have to.”

Lineup notes

Cagnoni, a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game in Detroit, returned to the Sharks’ lineup Monday and was paired with Dmitry Orlov. Cagnoni was on the second power play unit, and Orlov ran the first.

Nolan Allan, who played the last two games and averaged just under 15 minutes of ice time, was scratched, as were forwards Adam Gaudette and Ty Dellandrea. Gaudette hasn’t played this season; he began the year on Injured reserve, returned on Oct. 10, and has now been scratched for five straight games. Dellandrea will be scratched for the seventh time in nine games.

“We don’t love guys sitting out for too long,” Warsofsky said. “We’ll see how it plays out.”

The Sharks play the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, and finish the trip on Saturday against the Boston Bruins.

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