Nylander, Matthews Lift Leafs Past Canucks in Shootout
A disallowed Vancouver goal changed the tone early, Toronto answered twice, and the game ultimately came down to execution in the shootout as the Leafs picked up two points on the road.
VANCOUVER — The Toronto Maple Leafs earned the extra point Saturday night at Rogers Arena, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout after a tightly contested 2–2 game through regulation and overtime.
Toronto tied the game twice and leaned on strong goaltending and puck possession to come away with the win, finishing with a 41–30 edge in shots.
Vancouver opened the scoring early in the second period when Jonathan Lekkerimäki snapped a shot past Joseph Woll at 1:55, with Linus Ohlgren and Phil Joseph collecting the assists. Moments later, the Canucks appeared to double their lead, but the goal was waved off following a review for goalie interference, keeping the score 1–0 and proving to be a pivotal moment.
The Maple Leafs responded later in the period. At 13:34 of the second, Nicolas Roy tied the game 1–1, blasting a slap shot off a setup from Nick Robertson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Vancouver regained the lead just over a minute later when Tom Willander scored at 14:45, snapping a shot home with Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson picking up the assists, sending the Canucks into the intermission up 2–1.
Toronto answered early in the third period. Just 2:32 in, Max Domi tied the game 2–2, finishing a feed from Auston Matthews and Bobby McMann.
The Canucks pushed for a winner later in the third, but Woll came up with a key stop on Pettersson to keep the game tied. Neither team found a breakthrough in regulation or overtime.
In the shootout, William Nylander scored on a backhand attempt before Matthews followed with a backhand of his own. Woll stopped Vancouver attempts from Jake DeBrusk and Pettersson to secure the win.
Woll finished the night with 28 saves on 30 shots for Toronto, good for a .933 save percentage. Vancouver goaltender Nikita Tolopilo was strong in defeat, stopping 39 of 41 shots for a .951 save percentage.
The win moves the needle ever so slightly for Toronto in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. According to PlayoffStatus.com, the Maple Leafs now have a 93 percent chance of missing he playoffs underscoring how much ground remains for Toronto despite the shootout win in Vancouver.
For Vancouver, the loss continues a difficult stretch. Following the defeat, the Canucks’ odds of landing the first overall pick in the NHL Draft sit at 24.4 percent, according to Tankathon.com.
Next up, the Maple Leafs head to the Stampede City to take on the Calgary Flames on Monday night.