Marner gets 2 points, Maple Leafs hold off Oilers to end 3-game skid

The Toronto Maple Leafs scored three first-period goals in a span of 6:18 and held on for a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Saturday to end a three-game losing skid.

Leon Draisaitl appeared to tie it 4-4 with 2:04 remaining in regulation, when he took a cross-ice pass from Connor McDavid, who was named an assistant captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off from Feb. 12-20, and one-timed the puck past Joseph Woll’s shoulder from a sharp angle in the right circle. The goal was overturned on a coach’s challenge, which determined Oilers defenseman John Klingberg was offside entering the zone.

“We saw it on the bench, kind of felt it was coming,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. “It was very close, and sometimes too close to overturn it. But, yes, we did feel it was offside and we were getting prepared as if the call was getting overturned and there was going to be a face-off. So, we’re set for it.”

Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist, and Auston Matthews earned a pair of assists for the Maple Leafs (31-19-2), who opened a four-game road trip through the Pacific Division ahead of the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Woll made 45 saves.

“They’re a good team, obviously, and they made a good push, and I was just doing everything in my power to keep the puck out of the net,” Woll said. “It was a good win for us, a big win.

“It was our fans that were pretty loud, pretty on par with theirs. It was cool, regardless of who the fans are cheering for, it always ups the emotion and the intensity of the game. It was a lot of fun, a great building to play in.”

Evan Bouchard had a goal and an assist, and Brett Kulak had two assists for the Oilers (32-16-4), who had won three of their previous four (3-0-1). Stuart Skinner made 24 saves.

“It was just one of those nights. We might have been overzealous to get playing and it shuts our brains off,” Oilers forward Corey Perry said of giving up a pair of three-goal leads. “Those are just little things. You change those in the course of the game and it can come back and haunt you.

“And it did that tonight.”

William Nylander, who will represent Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, put the Maple Leafs ahead 1-0 at 6:32 of the first period, sending a wrist shot from the high slot through traffic and beating Skinner low stick side. It is the fifth time he has reached 30 goals in a season.

Nylander moved into sole possession of second place in the NHL with 23 even-strength goals on the season, behind Draisaitl (26).

Matthew Knies made it 2-0 on the power play at 9:08, picking up the rebound off a shot by Auston Matthews, who was recently named captain of the United States in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, and sliding it around the outstretched left pad of Skinner.

Knies sat out the previous two games with a shoulder injury sustained in a 5-1 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 22.

Bobby McMann pushed the lead to 3-0 at 12:50, also on the power play, taking the rebound off a Morgan Rielly shot, switching it onto his backhand and raising the puck past Skinner’s glove.

Bouchard cut the lead to 3-1 at 11:27 of the second period, sending a slap shot from outside the top of the right circle past Woll’s blocker for the 50th goal of his career.

Marner, who will represent Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, made it 4-1 just 18 seconds into the third period, taking a drop pass from Matthews on the rush and deking towards the net before having the puck deflect off him and through Skinner’s pads.

“We got that 4-1 lead right away, I’m not critiquing the wins, because a win’s a win, but I think we could have pushed a little bit more on them,” said Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube. “Woll was great, guys battled, it was a battle, playoff-type game. A lot of credit to their team, they’re very good.”

Zach Hyman cut the lead to 4-2 at 6:04, carrying the puck along the left wall, cutting in at the dot and sending a wrist shot short side past Woll.

Perry made it 4-3 at 11:33, sending a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that squeezed through Woll’s right arm.

Morning Skate

Game Highlights

Post-Game