TORONTO — Mitch Marner scored the game-winning goal 43 seconds into overtime to propel 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-stick penalty on the opening faceoff of the extra period.
Marner also picked up an assist in the first period to extend his franchise-record point streak to 22 games. He has 10 goals and 19 assists within that stretch.
The Maple Leafs (18-5-6) improved to 11-0-3 in their last 14 starts, while the Flames (13-11-4) suffered their second straight loss.
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 scored another goal.
Leafs goaltender Matt Murray made a shoulder save on Blake Coleman’s short-handed breakaway for one of his 22 saves. Toronto went the other way thanks to the opening goal of the game from Matthews on the opening power play for his sixth in seven games.
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However, a Matthews turnover inside the Flames’ blue line led to a tying goal by Calgary defenseman Noah Hanifin 9:13 into the first period.
It was the first goal by the Maple Leafs in 129:13 after Murray and backup Ilya Samsonov posted back-to-back shutouts this week.
Marner failed to shut down running back Nazeem Qadri on time before the former Maple Leafs center put Calgary up 2–1 at 12:52 of the first.
Toronto evened it out with another power-play goal. This time, a Nylander wrist shot beat goaltender Dan Vladar, who made 29 saves on the night. Marner threw a short pass to Rasmus Sandin, who found his fellow Swede for his second assist in the first period.
The Flames snatched the lead for the second time at 11:11 in the second period. Mikael Backlund hit the post, but fourth-liner Trevor Lewis pounced on the rebound to score.
Calgary was the better team in the second period, but Matthews got his team out late in the middle frame. They forced a turnover behind the Flames goal, and the puck eluded a wide-open Nylander for his 17th goal of the season.
A harmless shot from Hanfin was fumbled by Murray and snatched through his pads for a power-play goal and a 4–3 Calgary lead at 3:31 of the third period.
But Bunting knocked in a rebound off the end boards to tie the game for the fourth time less than three minutes later.
robertson out
The Maple Leafs announced that Nick Robertson will not play for the next six to eight weeks with a shoulder injury suffered against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. To replace him, Joey Anderson was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL to begin the season with the Maple Leafs.
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Calgary finished its three-game road trip on Monday with a trip to Montreal to play the Canadiens.
The Maple Leafs conclude their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 10, 2022.
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