Maple Leafs manhandle Oilers
EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Toronto Maple Leafs began their trip through Western Canada in convincing fashion Tuesday, dumping the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 at Rogers Place.
The Oilers were looking for revenge after losing a hard-fought game to the Leafs in overtime earlier this month, but all they got was more frustration.
Captain Connor McDavid cut Toronto's lead to 4-2 four minutes into the third period, but that was as close as the Oilers would get. Edmonton lost its third in a row to fall to 12-10-2 (5-6-0 at home in its new arena).
The win was just Toronto's second of the season on the road (2-5-4) and lifted the Leafs to 10-8-4.
Leafs rookie center Auston Matthews started the game by taking the first minor penalty of his career -- hooking on McDavid at 3:16 -- then made up for it 90 seconds after getting out of the box with his 10th goal of the season.
Matthews redirected a feed from fellow rookie William Nylander to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead at 5:45 of the first period.
This game was called a lot tighter than their first meeting of the season on Nov. 1, with the Leafs penalized twice for first-period fouls on McDavid, but Edmonton's sputtering power play couldn't make them pay.
Toronto ran away with it in the second period, scoring three times to take a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Winger James Van Riemsdyk got it started with his 10th of the year at 2:49, and center Nazem Kadri (who had two goals in his last game against Edmonton) scored at 6:00. Moments after Toronto killed a five-on-three power play, center Zach Hyman rubbed salt in the wound with a goalmouth tap-in at the other end at 17:58.
Defenseman Andrej Sekera scored the Oilers' only goal of the period at 4:50.
Toronto goalie Frederik Anderson made 28 saves for the win. Cam Talbot gave up four goals on 14 shots in the Edmonton goal the first two periods. Jonas Gustavsson came on in relief and stopped all nine shots he faced.
NOTES: Leafs coach Mike Babcock revealed that C Peter Holland did not make the road trip in an apparent dispute over playing time. ... The Leafs were the second-worst road team in the NHL at 1-5-4 before the Tuesday victory. ... Saturday's win over Washington was the first time Toronto has won a game in which rookie C Auston Matthews scored. ... The Leafs have seven rookies in their lineup, three of whom are in the top five in NHL rookie scoring -- Mitch Marner, Matthews and William Nylander. ... Leafs G Frederik Andersen has a .932 save percentage in his last 13 games. ... Edmonton's power play was shut out for the ninth time in 11 games, despite getting six changes Tuesday. ... Oilers LW Benoit Pouliot was held pointless for the 18th time in 21 games this season. The Oilers are 0-8 in the past seven games he played and 3-0 in the past three he sat.