Auston Matthews scored 54 seconds into overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime Saturday night.
“We didn’t handle the puck very well in the first period,” head coach Dave Tippett said. “Second period was a little better. Third period we turned it over in the neutral zone to give them some life. And then they pushed hard and got the even one and then the break on the overtime one.”
LISTEN BELOW: Dave Tippett
The Leafs opened the scoring with a strange goal early in the second period. The puck was at the side of the net. It flipped in the air, hit Mike Smith’s mask, and toppled over the goal line. The officials initially waved it off, believing Pierre Engvall had touched the airborne puck with his hand. However, video review showed he didn’t touch the puck.
Darnell Nurse beat Jack Campbell five-hole less than three minutes later to set a new career-high with eleven goals. Connor McDavid completed a brilliant rush with a pinpoint pass to Leon Draisaitl, who ripped in his 19th to make it 2-1 Edmonton. Draisaitl then put a no-look backhand pass out front to Tyson Barrie, who lifted home his fifth.
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John Tavares fired a shot past Smith with 7:39 to go in the third, then William Nylander tied it with 3:22 on the clock. Auston Matthews had a golden opportunity to put the Leafs ahead less than 30 seconds later, but Smith came up with a left pad save.
In overtime, Matthews took a wrist shot that deflected off Draisaitl, then off Nurse on the way past Smith.
“Of course we can beat that team,” Leon Draisaitl said defiantly after the loss. “There’s no question about it. It’s a good team, we’re really a good team; it’s always tight games. There’s no questioning in our heads that we can beat them.”
LISTEN BELOW: Leon Draisaitl
It was the Oilers first game since last Saturday. They had three games in Montreal postponed when two Canadiens players went into COVID protocol.
The Oilers, 21-13-1, and Leafs, 22-10-2, will play again Monday.