Marner’s OT score lifts Maple Leafs past Oilers

Mitch Marner scored 40 seconds into overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

After breaking up an Oilers rush in the defensive zone, Marner, who also had an assist in the game, carried the puck on a 2-on-1 with John Tavares and shot blocker side on Stuart Skinner for the win.

“I just saw back pressure, just tried to play the (Oilers) 2-on-1 as best I could and try to read the pass,” Marner said. “Luckily I was able to do it and then just tried to jump up the ice quickly and realized I had John and saw an opening and took it. It felt good, you try to play with excitement and fun out there and those are games you kind of live for.”

It was the 200th career goal for Marner, who leads Toronto with 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) this season.

“He was excellent,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “He did so much good in all facets of the game, penalty kill, power play, 5-on-5. He did a great job of breaking up that 2-on-1 on that play and going the other way and scoring… He wanted to get his 200th tonight so he got it.”

Bobby McMann scored twice and Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves for the Maple Leafs (11-6-2), who have won two in a row and five of their past six.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist and Skinner made 18 saves for the Oilers (9-7-2), who had won three in a row.

“You want to see it locked down there at the end,” Oilers forward Adam Henrique said. “Late in the game, giving up the tie and go-ahead, I thought our guys did a great job going right back out getting pressure and find a way to tie it. We ended up getting a point there but you want two and you want two in regulation if you can.”

Matthew Knies tied it 2-2 at 13:08 of the third period when he shot blocker side after Evan Bouchard turned the puck over deep in the defensive zone when he hit McDavid in the back with an attempted lead pass.

“I didn’t really expect that play to happen but I was pretty fortunate to get that space,” Knies said. “I kind of used their defenseman as a screen. Luckily it went in.”

McMann put the Maple Leafs up 3-2 just 59 seconds later when he outraced Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm to a loose puck in the neutral zone and deked to Skinner’s blocker side while in alone.

“I thought maybe I could race for it, maybe get a chance on a breakaway and I saw their goalie come out a little bit and he was a little bit in between so I just made one move and was able to put it in,” McMann said.

Draisaitl tied it at 18:31 when he put in a loose puck to the right of the goal crease past a sprawling Stolarz during a scramble with Skinner pulled for a 6-on-5 advantage.

The Oilers went up 1-0 at 1:42 of the first period when Henrique redirected a pass from Janmark at the top of the goal crease.

McMann tied it 1-1 at 3:53. After Skinner stopped Tavares in the slot, McMann put in the rebound past his outstretched left pad at the top of the goal crease.

McDavid put Edmonton up 2-1 at 1:51 of the second period on the power play when he corralled a loose puck that came to him to the left of the net after Draisaitl’s initial shot was blocked by Jake McCabe.

Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse left the game at 2:41 of the second period after taking a hit to the head from Ryan Reaves. Reaves was assessed a 5-minute match penalty for an illegal check to the head but the Maple Leafs killed it off.

“He’s been playing great for us. He’s just solid everywhere, all over the ice, chips in offensively and he’s been playing great defensively all over the ice making plays out of the defensive zone,” Henrique said. “It makes it easy on the forward. It’s hard, you never want to see that, bad hits to the head. It was tough.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch had no update on Nurse after the game, though he was seen in the tunnel after the game speaking with teammates, family and friends.

“That’s the side of the game you never want to see,” McMann said. “Guys are playing hard. I don’t think he was trying to finish high like that, I know he wasn’t. He was just playing hard and trying to get through guys and trying to win a hockey game and sometimes you clip a guy the wrong way. It was nice to see him get up and skate off there.”

The Maple Leafs had a 57-second 5-on-3 power play at 11:22 but could not score to tie the game.

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