Kadri leads Leafs over Oilers in OT
TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre in front of a crowd of 19,687 to end a two-game losing skid.
Center Nazem Kadri, who had two goals in the game, scored the winner 12 seconds into overtime. Center Ben Smith scored the other goal for the Leafs, who improved to 3-4-3 on the season. The Oilers, who received goals from center Anton Lander and defenseman Darnell Nurse, dropped to 7-3.
The game was highly-hyped because it represented Oilers captain Connor McDavid's first in Toronto. He missed last year's game with a shoulder injury. McDavid grew up in the north end of Toronto. It was also the first meeting of the season between McDavid and Leaf rookie center Auston Matthews, the first overall picks in the last two drafts. Neither player figured in the scoring sheet.
McDavid entered the game leading the NHL in overall points with 12. Last year, McDavid totaled five points in a victory over the Leafs in Edmonton. He has not registered a point in his last two games.
On the goal that tied the game 2-2 at 8:38 of the third, Leaf goalie Frederik Andersen mishandled the shot from the point by Nurse, but it changed directions when it hit the stick of Matthews near the crease. But Andersen, who has struggled early in the season, repelled 44 of the Oilers' 46 shots. The Leafs fired 31 shots at Oiler goalie Cam Talbot.
Kadri opened the scoring at 1:29 of the first period with his fourth of the year after directing in a pass from across the crease by winger Connor Brown, a linemate of McDavid in juniors with the Erie Otters. The goal was the fastest opening goal of the season for the Leafs.
The Oilers maintained constant pressure on Andersen and finally broke through when Lander scored his first of the season into a yawning cage from the right faceoff circle. Andersen was caught behind the net, along with the Leafs' defense pairing of Jake Gardiner and Roman Polak.
Smith gave Toronto the lead again at 3:14 of the second, redirecting a feed from Nikita Soshnikov, who was positioned behind the Oilers' goal line.
NOTES: The Oilers are in the midst of a five-game road trip, their first multi-game road trip of the season. ... Oilers scratches were LW Anton Slepyshev and D Eric Gryba. ... D Matthew Benning played his first game of the season. ... Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr were in attendance. Gretzky joined the Oilers' organization this year as a partner and vice-chairman. Orr is the agent for Edmonton C Connor McDavid. ... The Leafs recalled RW Nikita Soshnikov from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Soshnikov had one goal and two assists with the Marlies this season after recording two goals and three assists in 11 games with the Leafs in 2015-16. He played on the fourth line. ...The Leafs assigned LW Josh Leivo to the Marlies on a long-term injury conditioning stint. ... With C Auston Matthews and LW Mitch Marner playing their 10th games, the Leafs burned a year off their entry-level contracts.