TORONTO — Auston Matthews has seen shots clank off the post and others seemingly destined for the back of the net plucked out of mid-air time and again in recent weeks.
So, the NHL’s leading goal scorer can be excused for feeling he was owed a bounce.
Matthews scored on a double deflection 54 seconds into overtime Saturday as the Maple Leafs roared back from a 3-1 deficit with under eight minutes to go in the third period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3.
The star centre took a pass from Morgan Rielly in the extra period and fired a shot that hit the stick of Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl before bouncing in off defenceman Darnell Nurse’s skate for his 22nd goal of the season.
Matthews, who had scored just three times on 46 shots in his last 12 games coming into the showdown of North Division heavyweights, hit his league-high eighth post in the second period and had six other attempts denied by Oilers netminder Mike Smith before finally connecting.
“I’m going to take that, for sure,” said Matthews, who also had an assist. “It’s frustrating when the puck’s not going in, but as long as I’m getting chances I just try to stay positive and continue to push and shoot the puck and continue to think, ‘The next one’s going in, the next one’s going in.’
“Not really how I drew it up or ever envisioned it, but I’ll take that.”
William Nylander, with a goal and an assist, John Tavares and Pierre Engvall also scored for Toronto (22-10-2), which extended its winning streak to three games. Jack Campbell made 17 saves, while Alex Galchenyuk added two assists in another strong performance as the Leafs improved to 6-1-1 against the Oilers this season.
“Resiliency,” Matthews said of what stood out about his group. “We just stuck with it.”
Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for Edmonton (21-13-1), while Tyson Barrie, with a goal and an assist against his former team, and Nurse also scored for the Oilers. Mike Smith made 27 saves. Connor McDavid, who tops the NHL scoring race with 62 points, including 21 goals, added two assists.
“It’s a good team,” Draisaitl said. “We’re a really good team. It’s always tight games.”
The Leafs and Oilers will play their ninth and final meeting of the regular season Monday back at Scotiabank Arena.
Edmonton saw live action for the first time in a week after their three-game series in Montreal was postponed when two members of the Canadiens were added to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list Monday.
“Our energy was all right,” Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said. “Our execution was poor.”
Toronto swept Edmonton three straight in a series that saw the Leafs boss proceedings by a combined 13-1 scoreline and hold McDavid without a point the last times the teams met.
The Oilers have rebounded nicely since that troubling stretch, going 7-2-1 to close the gap in the division thanks in large part to McDavid’s seven goals and 15 assists over that span. Toronto, meanwhile, improved to 4-6-0 since that series at Rogers Place.
Down 3-1 in the third, Tavares got the home side within one with 7:39 left in regulation when he took a between-the-legs feed from Galchenyuk, who returned to Toronto’s second line after starting the game on the fourth unit, and snapped his 10th past Smith.
“It’s a big part of my game,” Tavares said of contributing offensively. “This year it hasn’t been as consistent as I’d like.
“Nice to get it and help the team get back in it.”
Nylander then fired home his 13th with 3:22 remaining off another feed from Galchenyuk to tie it before Matthews made the decisive play in OT.
“I’m feeling better and better,” said Galchenyuk, the No. 3 pick in the 2012 draft now with his seventh organization since 2018. “The more you play, the more comfortable you get.
“I’m happy with the progress I’m making.”
Toronto grabbed a 1-0 lead at 4:14 of the second on a strange sequence. Engvall scooped a shot towards the Edmonton net in tight, tried to swipe at it with his glove and saw the puck bounce off Smith’s helmet and in for his third of the campaign.
The play was initially ruled a goal, then waived off after the officials judged Engvall touched the puck with his hand before the call was finally reversed a final time following a video review.
Edmonton got that one back at 6:47 when Nurse joined the rush, took a pass from McDavid and beat Campbell through the five-hole for the defenceman’s career-high 11th goal.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” said Campbell, who improved to 6-0-0 this season. “I just didn’t have it tonight. That’s what a really great team does — they pick guys up.
“They picked me up tonight.”
Matthews then hit that league-leading eighth post on a wicked shot that beat Smith clean.
The Oilers took their first lead with 5:55 left in the period when McDavid raced down the left side against Leafs defenceman Justin Holl before finding a late-arriving Draisaitl to bury his 19th.
Barrie, who had a one forgettable season with Toronto in 2019-20 prior to signing with Edmonton in free agency, made it 3-1 with 1:54 remaining in the period when he took a no-look feed from Draisaitl in front and roofed his fifth on Campbell, who made a third straight start with Frederik Andersen still dealing with a lower-body injury.
“We stopped playing,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe of his team’s second period. “We got the goal and we just lost our legs from there. We stopped skating, we fought the puck, didn’t get through the neutral zone very well.
“We had, at 5 on 5, nearly nothing happening around the net.”
A Toronto power play on an ugly 1-for-21 run got a chance early in the third, but Smith robbed Matthews on a one-timer and Tavares hit his second post before the late fireworks.
“The second period, we definitely didn’t play our best hockey,” Matthews said. “But in the third period we just clawed our way back.”
“Not really how we drew it up in overtime, but a fortunate bounce and we’ll take that any day of the week.”
The past weekend of football was all about the favourites.
The favoured teams went 13-1 straight up and 10-4 against the spread in the NFL. In college football, the three most teams bet at the BetMGM Sportsbook in terms of number of bets and money all won and covered. All three were favourites.
Trends of the Week
The three most bet college teams that won and covered on Saturday were Ohio State (-3.5) vs. Penn State, Indiana (-7.5) at Michigan State and Oregon (-14.5) at Michigan. Penn State has now lost seven straight home games as underdogs. The Nittany Lions were up 10-0 in the first quarter and were 3.5-point favourites at the time. The Buckeyes won 17-10.
In the NFL, the three most bet teams in terms of number of bets and money were the Washington Commanders (-4) at the New York Giants, the Detroit Lions (-2.5) at the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills (-6) vs. the Miami Dolphins. All three teams won, but only two of the three covered the spread as Buffalo beat Miami 30-27.
When it came to the players with the most bets to score a touchdown on Sunday, only two of the five reached the end zone — Chase Brown (-125) and Taysom Hill (+185). David Montgomery (-140), Brian Robinson Jr. (+110) and AJ Barner (+500) did not score.
Upsets of the Week
The biggest upset in the NFL was the Carolina Panthers coming from behind to beat the New Orleans Saints 23-22. New Orleans closed as a 7-point favourite and took in 76% of the bets and 79% of the money in against-the-spread betting. The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen following the loss. They have now lost seven straight games after starting the year 2-0.
Arguably the biggest upset in college football was South Carolina beating No. 10 Texas A&M 44-20 at home. Texas A&M closed as a 2.5-point favourite and took in 59% of the bets and 58% of the money.
NEW YORK – Washington Capitals left-wing Alex Ovechkin, Carolina Hurricanes centre Martin Necas and Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby have been named the NHL’s three stars of the week.
Ovechkin had a league-leading five goals and nine points in four games.
The 39-year-old Capitals captain has 14 points in 11 games this season, and his 860 career goals are just 34 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Necas shared the league lead with nine points (three goals, six assists) in three games.
Crosby factored on seven of the Penguins’ eight total goals scoring four goals and adding three assists in three appearances. The 37-year-old Penguins captain leads his team with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 13 games this season.
Crosby and Ovechkin, longtime rivals since entering the league together in 2005-06, will meet for the 70th time in the regular season and 95th time overall when Pittsburgh visits Washington on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
TORONTO – Running back Brady Oliveira of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell are the finalists for the CFL’s outstanding player award.
Oliveira led the CFL in rushing this season with 1,353 yards while Mitchell was the league leader in passing yards (5,451) and touchdowns (32).
Oliveira is also the West Division finalist for the CFL’s top Canadian award, the second straight year he’s been nominated for both.
Oliveira was the CFL’s outstanding Canadian in 2023 and the runner-up to Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for outstanding player.
Defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund of the Montreal Alouettes is the East Division’s top Canadian nominee.
Voting for the awards is conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and the nine CFL head coaches.
The other award finalists include: defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette (outstanding defensive player); Saskatchewan’s Logan Ferland and Toronto’s Ryan Hunter (outstanding lineman); B.C. Lions kicker Sean Whyte and Toronto returner Janarion Grant (special teams); and Edmonton Elks linebacker Nick Anderson and Hamilton receiver Shemar Bridges (outstanding rookie).
The coach of the year finalists are Saskatchewan’s Corey Mace and Montreal’s Jason Maas.
The CFL will honour its top individual performers Nov. 14 in Vancouver.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31.
