EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Jack Campbell made 30 saves for his third NHL shutout, Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist and the NHL-leading Toronto Maple Leafs opened a three-game set in Edmonton with a 4-0 victory over the Oilers on Saturday night.
“It was awesome,” Campbell said. “It’s what you play for.”
William Nylander, Jason Spezza and Zach Hyman also scored for Toronto (16-4-2), which was without NHL goals leader Auston Matthews because of a wrist injury. John Tavares added two assists to help the Maple Leafs improve to 16-4-2 and open a six-point lead over the Oilers in the all-Canadian North Division.
Matthews tops the NHL with 18 goals in 20 games. He sat out for a second time against the Oilers this season because of the wrist issue.
“When you lose a guy like that, you’re essentially taking a goal away from your lineup,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “If you score one less, you’ve got to make sure you give up one less. Whether Auston was in or out, to beat an Edmonton team that’s rolling the way that they are and playing as confidently as they are, we had to really play a sound team game shift to shift.”
Mike Smith stopped 25 shots for Edmonton. The Oilers had won five straight.
“We just didn’t deserve to win,” Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said. “They just outbattled us.”
Campbell returned after missing more than a month with a leg injury. No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen remains day-to-day with a lower-body ailment that pressed third-stringer Michael Hutchison into action twice earlier this week.
The teams also will play Monday and Wednesday nights.
