TORONTO – Mitch Marner scored the winning goal 43 seconds into overtime to push the Toronto Maple Leafs past the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Saturday.
The winner came on the power play after Calgary’s Jonathan Huberdeau took a high-holding penalty at the start of the extra period.
Marner also had an assist in the first period to extend his franchise-record point streak to 22 games. He has 10 goals and 19 goals in that time.
The Maple Leafs (18-5-6) improved to 11-0-3 in their last 14 games, while the Flames (13-11-4) lost their second straight.
Toronto’s William Nylander enjoyed a five-point game with two goals and Auston Matthews checked in with a goal and two assists in front of a crowd of 18,857 at Scotiabank Arena. Michael Bunting added another goal.
Leafs goaltender Matt Murray made a shoulder save on a Blake Coleman shorthanded breakaway for one of his 22 saves. Toronto went the other way for the game’s opening goal from Matthews on an early power play for his sixth in seven games.
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However, a Matthews turnover inside the Flames’ blue line led to a game-tying goal by Calgary defenseman Noah Hanifin 9:13 into the first period.
It was the first goal allowed by the Maple Leafs in 129:13 after Murray and supporter Ilya Samsonov posted back-to-back shutouts this week.
Marner couldn’t close in time on a layup from Nazem Kadri before the former Maple Leafs center put Calgary ahead 2-1 at 12:52 of the first.
Toronto tied the game with another power play goal. This time, a Nylander wrist shot beat goaltender Dan Vladar, who made 29 saves on the night. Marner made a short pass to Rasmus Sandin, who found his fellow Swede for his second assist of the first period.
The Flames took the lead for the second time at 11:11 in the second period. Mikael Backlund hit the post, but fourth lineman Trevor Lewis scooped up the rebound to score.
Calgary was the better team in the second period, but Matthews bailed his team out late in the middle frame. He forced a turnover behind the Flames goal, and the puck squirted out to a wide open Nylander for his 17th goal of the season.
An innocuous shot from Hanifin was deflected by Murray and slipped through his pads for a power play goal and a 4-3 Calgary lead at 3:31 of the third period.
But Bunting knocked a rebound off the end boards to tie the game for a fourth time less than three minutes later.
ROBERTSON OUT
The Maple Leafs announced Nick Robertson will miss the next six to eight weeks with a shoulder injury sustained against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. To take his place, Joey Anderson was recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for his season debut with the Maple Leafs.
FOLLOWING
Calgary wraps up its three-game road trip with a visit to Montreal to play the Canadiens on Monday.
The Maple Leafs end their three-game homestand against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 10, 2022.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
