And indeed, Saturday night at Rogers Place with rival fan bases trying to drown each other out didn’t disappoint.
asserted
bases → try → other
The longtime rivals and friends went head-to-head, with Matthews’ Maple Leafs beating McDavid’s Oilers 7-2.
asserted
Leafs → go → Oilers
If it seems like the Leafs bring their best against Edmonton, you’re not wrong.
asserted
you → seem → Edmonton
When they face off, Matthews and the Leafs are 15-5-2.
asserted
Matthews → face → ?
And Matthews lights it up.
asserted
Matthews → light → it
He scored again, now with 14 goals and 10 assists against the Oilers over the years.
asserted
He → score → years
McDavid has 10 goals and 23 assists against the Leafs after an assist Saturday on a Leon Draisaitl goal in the second period.
asserted
McDavid → have → period
The Leafs hadn’t allowed a power-play goal in nine games before Draisaitl ended that streak with his second of the night.
asserted
Draisaitl → allow → night
Toronto has won four in a row for the first time since January.
asserted
Toronto → win → January
Leafs blue and white flooded Edmonton’s downtown hotels and cold streets Saturday.
asserted
Leafs → flood → hotels
A sizable number wore Gavin McKenna’s No. 92 with fans from his hometown of Whitehorse in attendance.
asserted
fans → wear → attendance
Competing chants of “Go Leafs go” and “Let’s go Oilers” added to the atmosphere in a sometimes heated encounter.
asserted
’s → compete → encounter
On the ice, it felt like anything could happen with both teams possessing high-octane offence and questionable defence.
uncertain
teams → feel → offence
Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz and Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry were often left to fend for themselves.
asserted
Stolarz → leave → themselves
Jarry had been pegged as Edmonton’s starter after Devon Levi got hurt Friday, but it was somewhat of a surprise when Leafs coach Jim Hiller announced Stolarz over Sergei Bobrovsky.
asserted
Hiller → peg → Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky is 14-7-0 (.900, 2.85) but also faced the Oilers often in the Stanley Cup final in his Florida Panthers days.
asserted
Bobrovsky → face → days
Maybe the Leafs thought the Oilers were too familiar with his work.
asserted
Oilers → think → work
Hiller wouldn’t say.
asserted
Hiller → say → ?
“A lot of belief in those two goaltenders,” he said.
asserted
he → say → goaltenders
“I’m glad we have them as a tandem.”
asserted
we → ’m → tandem
Stolarz was the story early, confounding Oilers shooters with a quick glove and good anticipation.
asserted
Stolarz → confound → glove
Leafs fans were loudest, but they did have more to cheer for.
asserted
they → have → more
Toronto’s penalty kill continued a near-perfect season by stopping the NHls’ top power play on two chances.
asserted
kill → continue → chances
Jack Roslovic, Troy Stecher and Matthews gave Toronto a 3-0 lead before Draisaitl solved Stolarz late in the second period.
asserted
Draisaitl → give → period
William Nylander’s power-play goal early in the third restored their three-goal advantage, and Zack MacEwen added as circus goal over Jarry to make it 5-1.
asserted
it → restore → Jarry
Nylander scored into an empty net after Draisaitl’s late marker.
asserted
Nylander → score → marker
Leaf Vinni Lettieri also scored his first NHL goal in the rout.
asserted
Lettieri → score → rout
On Roslovic’s goal, he was the last Leaf to touch the puck but Oiler Jake Walman actually swatted it past Jarry.
asserted
Walman → touch → Jarry
He had 21 goals as an Oiler last season.
asserted
He → have → Oiler
Stecher, picked up off waivers from the Oilers 11 months ago, scored his second goal in two games.
asserted
Stecher → pick → games
One who didn’t get revenge Saturday night: coach Mike Babcock, whose Oilers lost his first game against the last NHL team he coached.
asserted
he → get → team
- The Leafs will practice Sunday in Calgary and play the Flames on Monday, the second stop of a four-game trip.
asserted
Leafs → practice → trip
The Aporia
