The Maple Leafs had three full days of no games to rest up and prepare to face the Edmonton Oilers. Coming off a 4-3 win over the Devils, the Oilers presented another challenging team to the blue & white.
The Oilers played the best team in the NHL on Thursday night, giving the Bruins a rare home loss, winning 3-2.
Less than a minute in Evander Kane trips Mitch Marner, and the Leafs are gifted an early power play.
Leafs to the PP early pic.twitter.com/BLSifplJC2
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
There's no power play goal but shortly after it ends Noel Acciari scores his twelfth of the season to make it 1-0 Leafs.
NOEL ACCIARI 🚨
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
getting his cookies! pic.twitter.com/850FICT9Uk
The taste of victory is short lived as Mattias Ekholm scores to tie the game 22 seconds later.
Mattias Ekholm ties it seconds later pic.twitter.com/d36hfsXG91
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
The Maple Leafs are working hard to get the lead back, out working and out shooting the Oilers for most of the period.
Matthews works the puck and finds Kerfoot in front pic.twitter.com/4apnY3QyC0
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
However, the Oilers have an advantage because they're shooting on Matt Murray.
Evander Kane makes it 2-1 pic.twitter.com/tqVNuM9nOR
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
The Leafs don't give up, and keep going the rest of the first but it ends with a 2-1 Oilers lead.
the Tavares-Nylander connection is back pic.twitter.com/X1p2ilkUNa
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
Nylander takes the puck to the net and bumps it to Lafferty pic.twitter.com/t7ruCg01Gt
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
Jack Campbell returned to the Scotiabank Arena for the first time since being traded, but didn't dress. The Leafs made him a video anyway.
@davidalter35 The #Leafs do a small tribute for Jack Campbell who returns to Scotiabank Arena for the first time since he signed a 5-year deal with the Oilers. Lots of Sooooooup chants #hockey
♬ original sound - David Alter
Auston Matthews and Conor McDavid get matching penalties to start the period. McDavid bumps into Matthews and falls down, so he has a hissy fit and slashed Matthews stick out of his hand. For sure they both deserved penalities.
Leon Draisaitl works hard to avenge his fallen captain but hits the post and avenges nothing.
The four on four ends and McDavid comes out of the box and scores his 55th goal of the season.
Connor McDavid. 3-1. Yeah. pic.twitter.com/E3wwredGKR
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
3-1 Edmonton.
The Leafs get another power play when Kailer Yamamoto trips Mark Giordano. Stuart Skinner is doing his best to keep the Leafs out of the net and it's working. 0-2 with the man advantage.
Marner picked up the pass then sent Stuart Skinner to the shadow realm pic.twitter.com/vO3YJjMVqY
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
3-2 Oilers
another great defensive stick from Marner and the Leafs tie it pic.twitter.com/3i1V9fRzZ9
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
Tie Game
JOHN TAVARES 🚨
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
JOHNNY TORONTO GETS THE GO-AHEAD! pic.twitter.com/1rM9w281rX
4-3 Leafs.
JOHN TAVARES 🚨🚨
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
The Leafs are on fire! pic.twitter.com/NU0EWcXTMZ
5-3 Leafs.
And then this happened:
the refs didn't call any of this lol pic.twitter.com/Hv5RAAKGNa
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
The refs, now that they were forced to notice, handed out 4 minutes to each of them leaving the play five-on-five.
Acciari bulldozes his way to the net
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
draws a call in the process pic.twitter.com/JWQ1oDBAul
Finally a goal in the third period:
AUSTON MATTHEWS 🚨
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
TIC-TAC-30 GOALS pic.twitter.com/LAPkrgjOF8
Mitch Marner's third period assist was his 538th career point, moving him past Rick Vaive (537) for sole possession of 10th place on the @MapleLeafs all-time points list.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 12, 2023
6-3 Leafs
Leon Draisaitl. 6-4 pic.twitter.com/bvSk4tqk0K
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 12, 2023
6-4 Leafs
Acciari gets an ENG to make the final score 7-4. .
That's seven consecutive 30-goal seasons to begin his career for @AM34. 🚨#NHLStats: https://t.co/xLY8AtJTBS pic.twitter.com/Sa6HJtWrqV
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 12, 2023