Maple Leafs come from behind and beat Edmonton Oilers 7-4

This article was last updated on March 12, 2023

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Maple Leafs come from behind and beat Edmonton Oilers 7-4

The highly anticipated Saturday night game was dominated by Connor McDavid, the superstar captain of the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid had set a high bar for himself in the 2022-23 season and was playing in his hometown, which made him the center of attention in hockey’s biggest market.

However, Toronto’s elite talent, led by Mitch Marner, responded impressively to McDavid’s performance. The Maple Leafs were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit and defeat the Oilers 7-4. John Tavares scored twice as part of a four-goal outburst in the second period, while William Nylander and Auston Matthews each had a goal and an assist. Noel Acciari scored the other two goals for the Leafs, including an empty-netter. Matt Murray made 22 saves for the team.

McDavid was able to score his NHL-leading 55th goal of the season and added two assists for Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, and Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Oilers, while Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each contributed two assists. Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots for the Oilers.

Toronto’s surge in the second period, which saw them score four times in under six minutes, was the turning point of the game. Marner intercepted a pass to score his 24th goal before setting up Nylander’s 34th, which tied the game 3-3. Tavares completed the Leafs’ three-goal outburst before scoring his 30th overall goal late in the period.

Matthews scored his 30th on a power play in the third period, and although Draisaitl replied with his 42nd on another man advantage, Acciari iced the game with an empty-net goal.

Despite McDavid’s early dominance, Toronto’s offensive prowess led by Matthews was too much for the Oilers to handle. The Leafs lost 5-2 in their previous encounter with Edmonton, and head coach Sheldon Keefe could sense that his team was up for McDavid’s challenge. Jack Campbell, who played for the Leafs for three seasons, made his return to Toronto but spent the evening on the bench.