Strengthened by the core: William Nylander, Auston Matthews lift Leafs to overtime win

The Maple Leafs went to the front of the net Friday, and it started a third-period rally.

William Nylander rifled a one-timer off a Flames giveaway late in the period that Ondrej Kaše deflected to send the Leafs to overtime against the Calgary Flames, and Auston Matthews scored in the extra session to give Toronto a 2-1 win.

Matthews snapped home the winner with one of his patented wrist shots. He had broken his stick on his previous shift.

“We were just trying to stick with it,” Matthews said. “I know for myself, if I keep getting the opportunities, they’re going to go in, for sure.”

It was the Leafs’ seventh win in their last eight games. They play in Buffalo on Saturday.

Nylander stressed during an interview in the second-period intermission that the Leafs needed to get to the dirty areas, and Kaše was in front of Flames goaltender Daniel Vladar when he tied the game with just over seven minutes to play. The goal, Kaše’s third of the season and second in as many games, was originally credited to Nylander.

“I wasn’t thinking too much there, just trying to get it on goal,” said Nylander, who also assisted on Matthews’ goal to give him nine points in his last six games. “I didn’t know it went in, to be honest, but I wasn’t thinking too much, just get it to the cage.”

Nylander had three terrific chances up to that point. Toronto’s core players — Nylander, Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares — were frustrated on some high-danger looks as Vladar produced one of the best goalie performances against the Leafs this season.

He robbed Matthews on a breakaway in overtime, then made a glove save on an excellent scoring chance for Marner seconds later.

Oliver Kylington opened the scoring in the third period for Calgary, getting a break after Marner and Morgan Rielly had pressed in the Flames’ zone and were a step late getting back.

But Kylington also gave the puck away — fanning on a clearing attempt — and that was scooped up by Kerfoot before he fed it over to Nylander for the tying goal.

This was the Flames’ eighth road game and they’ve managed to score the game’s first goal in all of them.

By contrast, the Leafs have scored just eight first-period goals this season, 24th in the NHL. They led the league in first-period goals last season.

“As an organization, we believe in his talent,” Keefe said of Woll, the Boston College alumnus drafted in the third round in 2016. “In an ideal world, you want him to get rolling with the Marlies … but as it turns out, there’s an opportunity here now. I told him three days ago that he would be getting the start, so he’s had time to practise and prepare.”

Jack Campbell has played in 13 of the Leafs’ 15 games.

“I call him Quickie 2.0,” Campbell said about Woll, referencing his mentor, Kings veteran goalie Jonathan Quick. “He is really flexible like Quick is, and he works real hard, he makes great saves in practice, and I love having him around.”