The Toronto Maple Leafs built up a big lead and then held off the Edmonton Oilers for a 6-3 win Saturday night.
“We didn’t make many mistakes, but when we did they were big ones and they capitalized on them,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. “And it was unfair for Stu; I’m not sure any of those chances he’s going to have, but I think the chances we gave were too big.”
The Oilers went on the power play in the first minute of the game, but couldn’t grab the lead. Bobby McCann gave the Leafs the advantage 4:17 into the game when he was left alone in front and beat Stuart Skinner. William Nylander tipped home his 39th of the season late in the first period on a power play to make it 2-0 Toronto.
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The Leafs poured it on in the second period. After some sloppy play by the Oilers, Pontus Holmberg tapped in a pass from Max Domi to make it 3-0. Holmberg scored again just over two minutes later, finishing off a three-on-one just after the Leafs killed a penalty. McMann sniped his second of the night to make it 5-0.
Skinner, who allowed five goals on 23 shots, was replaced by Calvin Pickard to start the third. The Oilers finally scored five minutes into the period when Zach Hyman chipped in a power play marker for his 49th of the season. Corey Perry added another power play goal less than four minutes later.
Pickard was pulled for an extra attacker with 4:54 to go. Draisaitl poked in his 36th with 3:39 left with Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov suffering an injury on the play. He was replaced by Martin Jones.
“Weird game,” Draisaitl said. “They probably capitalized on every single one of their chances, and we gave up a little too much the first 40 (minutes).”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hit the goal post on an open look with 2:20 left. Auston Matthews scored a late empty netter.
Connor McDavid had three assists to get to 89 on the season.
“For our group, we believe we’re capable of anything in here . . . that we’ve been a good third period team,” Darnell Nurse said. “We just didn’t want to quit. Just wanted to show our group that we didn’t want to quit. We did that and made of game of it in the end, but weren’t good enough in the first 40 (minutes).”
The Oilers, 42-22-4, will visit the Ottawa Senators on Sunday (630 CHED, Face-off show at 2:30 p.m., game at 4 p.m.).
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