The Toronto Maple Leafs lost a tough one, 5-2, last night to the Edmonton Oilers. After a quick start from Edmonton, the blue and white struggled to keep up. It was an ugly night for a Maple Leafs team that has had a very eventful couple of days. The team will get a chance at redeeming themselves as they take on the Calgary Flames tonight in the second game of a back-to-back.
Once the puck was dropped and play was underway, newly acquired Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe was called for slashing 3:21 into the period. On the Edmonton power play, a well-worked shot down low for Oilers star Leon Draisaitl resulted in a rebound. The loose puck bounced off the right pad of Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov straight into the slot for Oilers star Connor McDavid to capitalize on. The Oilers took the lead early, as Connor McDavid scored his 51st goal of the season.
Once the Edmonton Oilers struck first, the Maple Leafs started to find their legs. After a nice steal by Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, the 25-year-old forward played a quick pass into the slot for teammate David Kampf. After receiving the pass from Marner, Kampf made no mistake with a perfectly placed shot, beating Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. The Maple Leafs tied the game at one apiece with 7:45 remaining in the opening period.
A little after the blue and white tied the game, a failed pass by newly acquired Maple Leaf Sam Lafferty caused an opportunity for the Oilers on the rush. Connor McDavid carried the puck into the Leafs zone with blazing speed and beat Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov through the legs with a quick shot. The Oilers star scored his 52nd goal of the season, giving the Oilers a 2-1 lead with 6:07 remaining.
After Edmonton took the lead for the second time in the first period, the Oilers didn’t stop there as ex-Leaf forward Zach Hyman scored. The 30-year-old forward finished off a beautiful well, worked play down low by the Oilers, leading to a rebound in the slot for Zach Hyman to bury. The Oilers took a 3-1 lead with 1:55 remaining as Zach Hyman added his 29th goal of the season. The Oilers closed out the opening frame with a 3-1 lead, outshooting the Maple Leafs 14-11.
Once the middle frame kicked off, Leafs nation was hoping for a better period; however, the Oilers had other plans. The Edmonton Oilers took a 4-1 lead with 11:14 to go in the second period. Only 8:46 into the middle period, Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto scored his 6th goal of the season. A beautifully worked cycle by the Edmonton Oilers led to a point shot from the blue line; Kailer Yamamoto got a piece of it just before Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov could pick up the deflection.
After the Oilers scored their fourth goal, the team didn’t take their foot off the gas late in the middle frame as they added their fifth. After a bad change of possession for the Maple Leafs, Oilers forward Ryan McLeod turned a rush opportunity into a mini two-on-one break. The 23-year-old forward made a nifty play around Leafs defenseman T.J. Brodie before playing a slick pass back door for teammate Klim Kostin to bury. This was Klim Kostin’s 10th goal of the season, giving the Oilers a commanding 5-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
Once the third period was underway, the Toronto Maple Leafs were given a power-play chance. After beautifully keeping the puck in the Edmonton zone, Morgan Rielly sent a pass to teammate Mitch Marner who fired a beautiful shot through Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. The Maple Leafs star scored his 21st goal of the season early in the period, giving Toronto at least a little bit of a chance.
After the Maple Leafs goal, the team played with a lot more urgency, but it was proven to be too little too late. The final frame was clearly the Maple Leafs best period, outshooting the Oilers 11-7, but they just couldn’t beat Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner as the clock expired. It was an ugly night for the blue and white, but they’ll be back tonight, this time against the Calgary Flames.
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