SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Tomas Hertl was just glad he finally scored a pretty goal.

Hertl's eighth goal of the season broke a tie with 1:24 left in regulation, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night.

"It was nice to finally score a nice goal instead of a rebound or into an empty net," Hertl kidded afterward.

Joe Pavelski scored his 21st goal on an empty net, a play on which Joe Thornton earned his 999th career assist.

"That's playoff hockey," said San Jose's Peter DeBoer, who notched his 300th coaching win. "You hit a hot goalie once in a while. The way we stuck with that game -- it took 58, 59 minutes -- but we found a way."

In addition, San Jose bolstered its playoff hopes with a trade late Tuesday.

Jannik Hansen was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for minor league forward Nikolay Goldobin and a 2017 conditional fourth-round draft pick that becomes a first-rounder if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup this season.

"Jannik is a versatile, gritty player who plays with speed and is talented on both sides of the puck," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "We think he is a perfect fit for the style of our team, which has earned the right for us to make this move and add to our NHL roster as we push toward the playoffs."

On the game-deciding play, Sharks forward Patrick Marleau not only gained the Toronto zone, but he fended of three Maple Leafs before feeding a streaking Hertl for a wrist shot from the left circle that beat screened goalie Frederik Andersen.

"We had three people back and they had two, and we didn't sort out and they shot it in our net," Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "That part was disappointing when you're that close. They were better than us the second half of the first period and the third period. The best team normally wins. When you hang on like we did and give yourself a chance, you have to find a way to get a point."

Each team broke through in the second period as the game was 1-1 after 40 minutes.

Toronto's league-leading power play struck on its first opportunity 51 seconds after San Jose defenseman Justin Braun hooked Auston Matthews.

And it was the Maple Leafs' dazzling rookie, Matthews, who converted with a snap shot from the slot over the left catching glove of goalie Martin Jones at 6:41 to break the scoreless tie. It was Matthews' 31st goal of the season and third in two games.

Three San Jose penalty-killers flailed with their sticks as Toronto gained zone entry, and Sharks defenseman Brent Burns gambled and lost with a missed check that allowed William Nylander the room to find Matthews working on the inside.

"It was a really nice play all around," Matthews said. "We kind of caught them on a change, and Willie just maneuvered around and Leivs made an unbelievable pass to me. I just tried to get it off my stick as quick as possible."

The Sharks gained the equalizer at 12:17 while skating five-on-five, the goal a result of a tenacious forecheck by San Jose's top line. Brenden Dillon scored his second goal of the season with a slap shot from the top of the right circle that beat Andersen after rookie Kevin Labanc set up the defenseman with a great cross-ice feed.

"It's tough when you're that close and it gets decided that late without getting a point," said Andersen, who made 34 saves. "It's not fun. We have to get back and have another game Thursday."

Jones stopped 20 shots in the win.

NOTES: C Brian Boyle missed the morning skate but arrived in time to make his debut on Toronto's fourth line after he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. He finished with an even rating in 12:33 of ice time. ... Toronto's three-game trip to California continues with a stop in Los Angeles on Thursday. ... San Jose next hosts Vancouver on Thursday. ... The Maple Leafs assigned F Frederik Gauthier to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL to make room for Boyle. ... San Jose's LW Joonas Donskoi hoped to return after the team's five-day break last week, but he remains out with an upper-body injury. Sidelined since Jan. 23, Donskoi is practicing, but he missed his 14th straight game Tuesday. ... Sharks D Dylan DeMelo remains out because of a broken hand.