Instant Reaction: Maple Leafs score six goals in dominant win over Edmonton Oilers

Nurse took a tripping penalty mere seconds after Edmonton’s power play ended. With about 45 seconds remaining in the kill, the Leafs took a shot from the point with William Nylander getting a stick and a foot to it, giving Toronto a 2-0 lead. It’s worth mentioning that Evander Kane tripped a player in the next shift, giving the Leafs even more momentum.

The Oilers were struggling to get the puck into the Leafs zone and Toronto eventually caused a turnover. Auston Matthews made a nice move to get around Evan Bouchard and found Max Domi who selflessly gave it to Pontus Holmberg for the easiest goal he’ll score in his life.

Holmberg also scored the Leafs’ fourth goal of the game, as Adam Henrique had an opportunity to touch the puck for an off-side. He didn’t, and the Leafs turned it into a 3-on-1 for the easy goal.

On the Leafs rush, Nylander made a nice pass across to McMann, who scored his second of the game. After the second period, Skinner was pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots. It’s hard to really blame him on any of these goals, although it’d be nice if he made a big save.

The Oilers had some life in the third period, as they were given a power play. Hyman scored his 49th goal of the season. It was the regular netfront goal for Hyman, and he is now just a goal shy of the 50-goal mark. Who would’ve thought?

Four minutes later, Corey Perry scored his sixth as an Oiler with a net-front goal. Great signing and it’ll be fun to watch him in the playoffs.

The Oilers pulled their goalie (now Calvin Pickard) with just over four minutes left, and it seemed like maybe, just maybe, they’d somehow make it close. This is because Leon Draisaitl slipped it underneath Ilya Samsonov, who picked up an injury on this play. Sadly, the comeback fell short as Auston Matthews scored his 58th of the season.

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Things worth mentioning…

Evander Kane had a frustrating game even with an assist. During Edmonton’s first power play, Kane was tripped and there was no call. It clearly affected him, as he looks pretty uninspired the rest of the power play. After Toronto went up 2-0, Kane took a very bad tripping penalty, which Toronto did not score on. During the second intermission, cameras caught Kane and Draisaitl arguing, which isn’t a great sign.

Mattias Janmark fought for the second time this season, as he squared off against a tough customer in Max Domi. Towards the end, Domi landed some hard shots, but this was the definition of a draw.

Connor McDavid picked up three assists, bringing his total to 26 goals and 115 points. Nikita Kucherov has 122 points, and his Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Los Angeles Kings.

Up next: The Oilers will take on the Ottawa Senators at 4:00 PM MT on Sunday. It’s likely that Calvin Pickard will start the game, and hopefully, Zach Hyman will hit 50 goals as I’ll be there for the game!

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