National Hockey League
Toronto 6, Edmonton 1
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
Referees: Brad Meier, Graham Skilliter
Linesmen: Michel Cormier, Bevan Mills
Attendance: N/A

Jimmy Vesey scored twice and goaltender Frederik Andersen made 26 saves in his return after missing four games to lead the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers -- their third straight road win in the clash of North Division heavyweights.

Zach Hyman and John Tavares both netted one goal and one assist, while Jason Spezza collected three assists for the Maple Leafs, who beat the Oilers by a combined score of 13-1 over the three clashes and have a firm hold on top spot in the all-Canadian division. Toronto, which has won four straight games, has posted a 15-2-2 mark since losing to the Oilers at home on Jan. 20.

The Oilers went into the trio of games having won 11 of 13 but were overmatched in all three affairs. Captain Connor McDavid, who leads the league in points, was held off the scoresheet for a third straight game for only the third time in his career.

Vesey opened the scoring at the 9:03 mark. While the Maple Leafs were controlling play in the offensive zone, Vesey went straight to the net after a line change, gained the puck at the bottom of the right circle and found the mark for his first goal in 18 games.

Vesey doubled the lead at 2:57 of the second period by taking advantage of a bad Oilers line change. Vesey finished an odd-man rush by redirecting a Spezza pass for his fourth goal of the season.

Tavares' power-play goal 107 seconds later made it a 3-0 count for the visitors. Tavares, who won the face-off in Edmonton territory, took a short pass from Joe Thornton while in the slot and made no mistake.

Ilya Mikheyev continued the onslaught when he pounced on a loose puck at 7:02 of the second period before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finally put the Oilers on the board. The goal snapped Edmonton's goal-scoring drought at 153 minutes and 46 seconds.

However, William Nylander restored Toronto's four-goal edge by netting his fifth goal in four games with 98 seconds remaining in the second period.

Hyman added a power-play goal just past the midway point of the third period -- which gives him a three-game goal streak -- to round out the scoring.

The good news didn't end there for Toronto. Auston Matthews returned to the lineup after missing the last two games. He was held without a point, but his team fared just fine.

Mike Smith stopped 26 shots for the Oilers.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   Edmonton
Jason Spezza 3 Points Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1
Jimmy Vesey 2 Goals Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 1
Jason Spezza 3 Assists Leon Draisaitl 1
Zach Hyman 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Frederik Andersen .963 Save Percentage Mike Smith .812
Frederik Andersen 26 Saves Mike Smith 26
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Toronto 32 6 2-5 0-0 0 31
Edmonton 27 1 0-0 3-5 10 23
Upcoming Games
  • Edmonton will play their next game at home against Calgary. The Oilers have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .600 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game on the road against Vancouver. The Maple Leafs have a W/L % of .706 after a win and .833 after a loss.