Nylander has hat trick, Maple Leafs defeat Flames

William Nylander had a hat trick to help the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-3 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.

Auston Matthews had three assists in his 600th NHL game, Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist, and John Tavares and Bobby McMann each scored for the Maple Leafs (32-19-2), who have won two in a row after a three-game losing streak. Joseph Woll made 23 saves.

“I think we just did a good job staying to our structure and sticking to our game plan,” Woll said. “There was a lot of different stuff going on with penalties and I think we have a good structure that we rely on and then we let our playmakers go make those plays.”

Toronto forward Mitch Marner, who was a game-time decision, did not play and is day to day with a lower-body injury. Marner, who will represent Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, leads the Maple Leafs and is tied for fourth in NHL scoring with 70 points (16 goals, 54 assists).

“I thought we did a great job,” Knies said. “Obviously he’s a tremendous player and it’s going to hurt our team he can’t play, but I think guys stepped up and we did a really good job.”

Matt Coronato, Yegor Sharangovich and Joel Farabee scored, and Dustin Wolf made 24 saves for the Flames (26-20-7), who have lost four of six.

“Just kind of a weird game,” Farabee said. “I thought our power play looked good. Would’ve been nice to get a couple (penalty) kills there and keep the momentum going. Kind of was just a weird game altogether.”

Coronato gave the Flames a 1-0 lead at 14:16. His initial rebound attempt was blocked by Chris Tanev, but he followed it up and shot over a downed Woll on a 5-on-3 power play.

Nylander, who will represent Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, tied it 1-1 at 2:36 of the second period with a one-timer by Wolf’s blocker on a cross-slot feed from Knies on the power play.

“I think we’re just moving the puck, keeping it simple and keeping the puck moving quickly is huge and getting pucks to the net and retrieving and scoring,” Nylander said.

Tavares, who had a goal disallowed in the first period after video review confirmed he knocked the puck in with a high stick, scored 41 seconds later to put Toronto up 2-1 with a backhand by Wolf’s glove from the slot on another power play.

Sharangovich evened it 2-2 at 5:58 with a deflection of MacKenzie Weegar’s one-timer on another 5-on-3 power play, and McMann gave the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead at 12:28 with a snap shot by Wolf’s blocker off a 2-on-1 rush.

“The PK in the second period and two turnovers and their skill took over,” Weegar said. “Two 2-on-1s and they capitalized on a couple of our mistakes there. That second period I thought was sort of where the game tilted the other way.”

Nylander pushed it to 4-2 at 18:18 when he beat Wolf’s glove with a low wrist shot off an odd-man rush.

“I mean, I was just laughing,” Woll said. “Yesterday in practice he scored on me every time he shot on me so as soon as he got the puck on the 2-on-1 I’m like, ‘no question he’s going to score.’ He’s a special player. Anytime the puck’s in his hands he’s dangerous.”

Knies poked a loose puck over the goal line after Wolf stopped Matthews on a breakaway to make it 5-2 at 5:44 of the third period.

Farabee scored his first with the Flames, a tip on a Jonathan Huberdeau shot, to cut the lead to 5-3 at 6:02. He was acquired along with Morgan Frost in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday for Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier.

“I think obviously winning’s way more important, but it definitely feels good to get the first one out of the way, even though it took a couple tries,” said Farabee, who had a goal overturned in the first period because of goaltender interference. “At the end of the day I’d rather never score and win every game than score and lose. It’s all about just getting a little bit better. It feels good but at the end of the day winning is more important.”

Nylander completed his second NHL hat trick into an empty net with 44 seconds remaining for the 6-3 final. He has 33 goals this season, second in the NHL behind Leon Draisaitl’s 37 with the Edmonton Oilers.

“It was nice,” said Nylander, whose only other NHL hat trick came eight years ago on Feb. 4, 2017. “I mean, I didn’t really expect that to happen maybe tonight. I had a lot of other games where I’ve had two goals and not been able to score. It was nice it finally went in.”

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