In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals 4-3, with Mitch Marner netting the equalizer in the last minute of regulation and John Tavares scoring the decisive goal during overtime.

William Nylander played a pivotal role in the comeback, lighting the score sheet with a goal at 4:09 left in the third period. He also assisted Marner’s power play goal, which was scored with just 47.8 seconds remaining, occurring when the Leafs had their goalie, Joseph Woll, off the ice for an additional attacker while Washington’s Nic Dowd was serving a penalty. Remarkably, Nylander’s contributions came fresh on the heels of his earlier error that contributed to a disappointing shutout loss against Ottawa.

The Capitals initially took control of the game, leading 3-1 with goals from Taylor Raddysh, Dylan Strome, and Aliaksei Protas. However, a critical turnover by Tom Wilson allowed Nylander to capitalize, narrowing the gap to 3-2. Following Dowd’s penalty, the situation quickly turned against Washington, marking only their fifth defeat in 15 games this season.

In goal, Woll made 24 saves on 27 shots, demonstrating resilience in his performance. Conversely, Logan Thompson of the Capitals had a busier night, making 31 saves, but suffered his first loss since joining Washington from Vegas in the summer.

Analysis and insights from the game suggest that while the Maple Leafs took some time to find their rhythm as hoped by coach Craig Berube and the team’s veterans, their star players ultimately stepped up in crucial moments to seal the victory. On the other hand, the Capitals are facing challenges after an impressive start to their season, faltering in a lackluster third period that proved costly.

A key highlight of the overtime session was the Leafs’ dominance in possession during the 3-on-3 format, which culminated in Tavares’ winning goal at 46.2 seconds remaining. Additionally, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson reached a significant milestone, playing in his 1,000th regular-season NHL game.

Looking ahead, the Capitals will begin a three-game road trip this Friday against the Colorado Avalanche. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are set to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in an exciting matchup on Saturday night.