Domi scores shootout winner to lift Maple Leafs to 5-4 win over Flames
TORONTO (AP) — Max Domi scored in the fifth round of the shootout and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Friday night.
William Nylander had two goals and an assist, and John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Toronto, which has won two of three. Joseph Woll made 24 saves.
“We battled,” Nylander said. “Just sticking with it.”
Nylander extended his franchise-record point streak to open a season to 14 games.
“One of the best players in the world right now,” Domi said of Nylander. “Every time he touches the puck, something dangerous is happening.”
Connor Zary, Nikita Zadorov, A.J. Greer and Martin Pospisil had goals as Calgary snapped a two-game win streak. MacKenzie Weegar added two assists and Dan Vladar stopped 32 shots.
“Pretty good effort being able to crawl back and secure a point,” Flames center Nazem Kadri said. “Proud of our effort.”
Domi scored the deciding goal in the shootout upstairs on Vladar before Woll denied Dillon Dube to secure the extra point in the standings. Calgary's Yegor Sharangovich and Toronto's Mitch Marner scored earlier in the tiebreaker.
"(Vladar) made a couple big saves on the blocker side,” Domi said. “Figured I would take it to his glove — got a little lucky with the shot and Woller made a huge save. ... Massive win.”
Toronto went up 3-1 just 66 seconds into the second period when Nylander stole the puck from Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin on a Calgary power play and ripped his ninth goal of the season.
It was the first short-handed goal ever scored by the Nylander family — including father Michael and brother Alex — in 1,548 combined NHL games.
“That’s good,” Nylander said with a smile when told of the stat. “Fun to get that one, but the win’s what’s important.”
The Maple Leafs then made it 4-1 at 4:45 when Nylander found Tavares in front for his sixth.
Calgary got one back 48 seconds later when Zadorov blast his first before Greer brought the Flames within one at 4-3 on a deflection for his second at 12:22.
The Flames tied it at 3:22 of the third when Pospisil scored his second from Woll’s doorstep.
Nylander had a great chance to complete the hat trick a few minutes later, but fired wide with Vladar out of position.
A chaotic overtime saw Vladar deny Nylander from in close and Woll stop Andrew Mangiapane on a breakaway.
The Maple Leafs opened the scoring at 3:01 of the first when Nylander capitalized on a broken play.
Morgan Rielly then hit the post and Tavares was alone in front as Toronto pressed for more, but Calgary evened it up at 7:02 when Zary chipped his own rebound over Woll for his second.
Toronto went back in front at 8:18 when Jarnkrok scored his fourth by finishing off a pretty passing play with Domi and Nick Robertson.
“Good job by the guys staying with it, sticking together,” Tavares said. “But we know we’ve got to keep building from here.”
Jake McCabe (groin) returned to action for Toronto following a six-game absence, while fellow defenseman John Klingberg sat out with an undisclosed injury of his own.
UP NEXT
Flames: At Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Maple Leafs: Host Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
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