William Nylander had two goals, including the 300th of his career, as the Toronto Maple Leafs scorched the Edmonton Oilers 7-2 on Saturday. Jack Roslovic, Auston Matthews, Troy Stecher, Zack MacEwen and Vinni Lettieri also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won four straight to improve to 7-4-2. Anthony Stolarz made 30 stops to earn the win in the Toronto net, while Leon Draisaitl scored twice for the Oilers, who had a three game winning streak halted and dropped to 8-2-1. It was a result that said as much about Toronto’s depth as about Edmonton’s stars, because the Leafs scored from every part of the lineup while the Oilers leaned, as usual, on two players.
A milestone night in Edmonton
Nylander’s milestone goal was the headline, but Matthews’ night may matter more for the record books. Matthews now needs just one point to reach 800 in his career, which will make him the fastest player in franchise history to reach the milestone, and the NHL’s third quickest American skater to hit the mark. Matthews and Kirill Marchenko both extended their season opening road point streaks to five games, and Toronto’s penalty kill, which had killed 40 of 41 opposition power plays and 30 in a row before Edmonton scored late, was nearly perfect again. No team has had more success in Rogers Place in Edmonton than the Maple Leafs, who have gone 12-2-1 there since the Oilers moved into their new arena.
What it means for both teams
For Toronto, the fourth win in a row arrives at the right moment in a long road trip, with a visit to the Calgary Flames on Monday night next. For Edmonton, the defeat does not erase the form of its biggest stars, with Draisaitl’s two goals his 11th and 12th of the season and McDavid adding two assists, but it does expose the gap between a top line that produces every night and a supporting cast that, on Saturday, could not keep pace. Tristan Jarry recorded 25 saves for Edmonton but faced sustained pressure, particularly in a third period in which Toronto outscored the hosts 4-1. Both teams turn quickly to Monday, Toronto with a winning streak and a milestone scorer, Edmonton knowing its stars are still producing and that, on Saturday at least, that was not nearly enough.
