Nylander, Matthews out-duel MacKinnon, Necas in OT thriller

William Nylander scored the overtime winner, converting a great feed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson off the rush. Nylander was effective throughout the night, winning pucks back and using his speed to great effect.

Auston Matthews also may be all the way back, scoring in the third period. Matthews ripped a shot with his patented curl-and-drag release, giving the Leafs a brief 3-2 lead, before Martin Necas forced overtime.

Easton Cowan opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs, banking a centring pass off Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns and in. After the Maple Leafs surrendered goals to Cale Makar and Brock Nelson, Bobby McMann tied the game back up at 2-2, bursting through for a breakaway marker.

Here are three takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 victory over the Avalanche:

Nylander, Matthews out-duel MacKinnon, Necas in thriller

Nathan MacKinnon will likely emerge as the Hart Trophy winner if he continues in this form. MacKinnon is dominating the league, and is atop nearly every individual offensive category this season. MacKinnon can make opponents look silly with his all-world acceleration, power, shooting, and playmaking. Toronto largely kept MacKinnon in check, and he still finished with three assists.

Martin Necas was arguably the best player on the ice. Necas made Jake McCabe look silly, dropping the Leafs’ defenceman with a nasty head fake, before sending a searing cross-ice pass to Cale Makar for the game-tying goal in the first period, shortly after Easton Cowan opened the scoring.

MacKinnon and Necas put on one hell of a show. MacKinnon used the threat of his shot to keep the Leafs at bay, operating primarily as a playmaker, while Necas darted around the ice with free will. Necas tied the game in the third period after MacKinnon won a puck battle against Jake McCabe, then calmly surveyed the ice as his linemate broke free. Conventional wisdom would dictate that MacKinnon and Necas won the battle, but it was Nylander and Matthews who will rewrite the headlines.

Nylander was engaged from the outset and improved as the contest wore on. He worked well in tandem with Matias Maccelli, taking pucks to the net aggressively. Nylander ripped a shot off the rush during the second period, then Matthews followed up shortly thereafter, hitting the post with a loud pinging noise ringing through.

It’s fitting that the Maple Leafs’ franchise players connected during the third period. Nylander darted down the ice at 4-on-4, then sent a horizontal pass through the neutral zone to Matthews. Matthews caught it off the boards, then ripped a shot with the release we’ve been accustomed to seeing over the past decade. This is the type of play that every Leafs fan and observer have been waiting for the better part of 18 months.

And of course, it was Nylander, who has an uncanny ability to respond to the challenge during the regular season, who walked it off for the Leafs against the NHL’s best team. Nylander was awarded the team belt, given to the Leafs’ best or most impactful player in a winning effort.

Bobby McMann elevates his game through his all-world speed

Colorado operates at a different speed than any other team in the NHL, so it was important for Toronto to be able to stay disciplined and keep pace. Bobby McMann is arguably the fastest player on the Maple Leafs, and he elevated his game by using his acceleration to his advantage, while being opportunistic and driving the net.

Easton Cowan scored the opening goal for the Maple Leafs, while trying to find McMann at the net. Cowan’s pass hit Brent Burns and went in, but McMann deserves credit for forcing the issue.

“Speed. A lot of good things. He has such great speed, and he uses it extremely well,” Berube said of McMann post-game. “I know we lost Robby, so I ended up moving Bobby onto a bunch of different lines, which is nice. He can play anywhere, and he does the job. Defensively, he was outstanding with his stick and his speed. He broke some plays up. Overall, he had a really good game.”

McMann was aggressive all throughout the night, and John Tavares almost scored off his rebound, forcing Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner into one of his best saves of the game. He worked tirelessly on the defensive side of the puck, and ought to be rewarded with greater playing time.

Joseph Woll excellent in winning effort 

The public advanced stats aren’t being kind to Joseph Woll, and you can throw out your calculators here. Woll was terrific for the Maple Leafs yet again, making 31 saves in a winning effort against a powerhouse Avalanche side.

Although there was several saves to highlight, Woll’s best stop of the night came during the third period, where he robbed Necas on a 2-on-1 chance with MacKinnon.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS