CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs took to the ice on Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, facing off against the Calgary Flames and came away with a decisive 6-3 victory. Leading the charge for Toronto was none other than William Nylander, who delivered his second career hat trick, marking the occasion exactly eight years after his first hat trick.
Nylander's stellar performance not only emphasized his value to the team but also helped him reach the impressive milestone of 33 goals this season, situationally placing him second among NHL goal scorers, just four behind Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl, who leads with 37 goals.
The game kicked off with both teams having disallowed goals, setting the tone for what would turn out to be an eventful night of scoring. The Flames initially took the lead when Calgary-born Matt Coronato scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 14:16 of the first period. The goal was the only scoring of the opening frame.
Things turned exciting quickly as the second period unfolded, where the teams combined for six goals. At 2:36, Nylander tied the game with his first goal on the night, firing a one-timer past Flames' goalie Dustin Wolf. Just moments later, John Tavares offered hope to the Leafs' faithful by scoring on the power play, giving Toronto a brief lead.
But the Flames stood resilient, as Yegor Sharangovich equalized at 5:58 with another power play goal. With the game tied 2-2, the Leafs regained momentum and did not look back. Bobby McMann, dazzling on the ice, scored his 16th goal of the season, making it 3-2 with just under eight minutes left in the second period. Rounding out the second period, Nylander struck again, bringing his tally to two objectives.
Going to the final period, Matthew Knies added to the scoring with his own tally, quickly extending the lead to 5-2. The Flames' Joel Farabee managed to generate some hope for Calgary by scoring his inaugural goal for the team, cutting the Leafs' lead to 5-3. Still, Nylander capped off his performance with yet another goal, netting his hat trick by putting one home in the empty net with just 44 seconds remaining.
Toronto's victory not only showcased their offensive prowess but also their solid special teams play, going 2-for-4 on power plays, even with forward Mitch Marner sidelined due to injury. Coach Keith Keefe's strategy of leveraging their structured offensive strategy allowed their key players to shine bright.
Leafs' goalie Joseph Woll stopped 23 shots on the night, improving his record to 19-10-0 overall. Meanwhile, Calgary’s Dustin Wolf made 24 saves but struggled against the barrage from the Leafs' offense. After the pivotal victory, the Maple Leafs improved their record to 32-19-2, inching closer to the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers.
After the game, Nylander reflected on his hat trick, stating, “It was nice… It feels good but at the end of the day winning is more important.” His sentiments echoed sentiments across the Leafs’ locker room, where teammates shared their excitement with mixed feelings over missing Marner, still clinging to the hope of continuing their winning ways.
The Maple Leafs will look to build on this victory as they head to Seattle for their next matchup, determined to continue their pursuit of dominance within the league.