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Leafs pay a visit to struggling Sharks

Jan 11, 2011 - 4:16 PM (Sports Network) - The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't won in San Jose in nearly 14 years, but given its recent road success and the Sharks' current offensive struggles, they are visiting HP Pavilion at the perfect time.

The Maple Leafs aim for a fifth straight road win tonight and look to deal the struggling Sharks a fifth consecutive defeat both overall and at home.

Toronto's current run of road success includes a victory in the first two contests of a four-game road trip. The Maple Leafs opened the swing with a blowout 6-3 victory in Atlanta on Friday before posting a 3-2 victory in Los Angeles last night.

James Reimer came up big in net for the Leafs, finishing with 30 saves and stopping all 17 shots faced in the final period. That includes standing tall during a 6-on-4 disadvantage over the game's final 1:42.

"[Reimer] was outstanding all night," said current Leafs coach and former Sharks bench boss Ron Wilson. "Every time we needed a whistle, he's cool and calm, doesn't give up very many rebounds ... He did a great job."

Darryl Boyce and Phil Kessel scored 34 seconds apart in the second period and Nikolai Kulemin notched the game-winner for Toronto, which has won three in a row for the first time since starting the season 4-0.

Colby Armstrong was able to suit up for the Maple Leafs last night despite suffering a scratched right cornea on a sucker-punch from Atlanta's Ben Eager on Friday.

With starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere not likely to return from a groin injury until Thursday in Phoenix, the 22-year-old Reimer could get the call again tonight over Jonas Gustavsson. Giguere hasn't played since Dec. 16.

Toronto will be gunning for its first victory in San Jose tonight since March 26, 1997. The club has notched three losses and two ties in five meetings there since and hasn't beaten the Sharks overall since a 4-3 home win on Jan. 29, 2002. The two franchises skated to a tie in the next two matchups, though the Sharks have won the last four meetings overall.

San Jose will hope to continue that success tonight as its current four-game slide is the club's longest since dropping six in a row from March 13-21.

The Sharks have also lost six of their last eight and have been shut out twice over their last three games. San Jose was last in action on Sunday, dropping a 1-0 decision in Anaheim.

Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots for San Jose, which was coming off a 2-1 home loss to Nashville on Saturday.

"We are playing good hockey but nothing wants to find its way in the net for us right now," said Sharks forward Joe Thornton. "We are right there, right on the brink of breaking out. We've just got to keep working at it, because it is tough to score goals. We are getting a lot of chances but we have to keep our heads up and keep fighting."

Forward Dany Heatley's struggles continued as he has gone without a goal in five straight and has just two in past 17 games.

The Sharks are tied for ninth in the Western Conference with 47 points, eight back of the first-place Stars in the Pacific Division.

San Jose has lost four straight as the host and begins a three-game homestand tonight.