Oilers' Russell knocks in winning goal for Leafs
EDMONTON, Alberta - Edmonton's Kris Russell scored a goal for the Oilers, then he scored his second of the night. But the latter was for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With the score tied 4-4 and 1:05 left on the clock, Russell tried to clear the puck behind his net, and ended up rifling it through the legs of Oilers goalie Laurent Brossoit. The own goal -- credited to the Leafs' Patrick Marleau -- was the decider as the Leafs went on to win 6-4, with Nazem Kadri adding an empty-netter.
Russell had scored early in the third period to tie the score 4-4.
The Oilers' Mark Letestu and the Maple Leafs' William Nylander each had a goal and two assists.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid, the reigning MVP, got a goal, and Leafs star Auston Matthews had a goal and assist.
Matthews struck at 2:15 of the first period, as he fired a wrist shot past Brossoit, starting in place of Cam Talbot, who was placed on injured reserve Thursday morning.
The goal brought chants of "Go Leafs Go!" from the many fans wearing Toronto colors in the crowd. When their favorite team visits Western Canada, it's a given that Leafs fans will snap up tickets.
Leafs fans were cheering again at 5:55, when Dominic Moore's wrist shot beat Brossoit.
And, though the Oilers got one back, the Leafs restored their two-goal lead 29 seconds later. Mark Letestu scored at 12:37, slotting home a pass from Jujhar Khaira. But an Oilers turnover gave the Leafs a three-on-one break, and Matt Martin finished off the passing sequence from Moore and Nylander.
The Oilers rallied in the second. Zack Kassian made it 3-2 at 6:38 of the second, banging home a pass from Khaira.
The Oilers tied it at 17:32. Leafs defenseman Ron Hainsey was hobbled after blocking a shot, and the wide-open McDavid tipped home a point shot from Russell. It was Russell's 200th career NHL point.
But, with the Leafs on the power play, they got the lead back on a Nylander wrist shot with 1:31 left in the period.
The see-saw affair continued in the third as Russell blew a point shot over Andersen's shoulder at 3:01.
NOTES: With Oilers G Cam Talbot on injured reserve, the team called up G Nick Ellis from its AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif. Ellis was 5-5-1 with a .914 save percentage in the AHL. ... Talbot played in 22 of the Oilers' 25 games previous to Thursday's matchup. Oilers coach McLellan said the goaltender could be out "two weeks, maybe longer." ... The Leafs scratched D Connor Carrick, RW Nikita Soshnikov, and LW Josh Leivo. ... The Oilers scratched LW Michael Cammalleri and RW Iiro Pakarinen. D Adam Larsson was in the warm-up but was a late scratch.