PITTSBURGH — William Nylander netted an overtime goal just 60 seconds in, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
The Maple Leafs showcased an impressive performance with Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Matthew Knies each contributing both a goal and an assist. This victory marks the fifth consecutive win for Toronto. Additional goals were scored by John Tavares, Max Domi, and Conor Timmins.
Nylander’s goal was his 35th of the season, elevating his career tally to 252, surpassing Bob Pulford to secure the tenth spot on the franchise’s list. Matthews maintained his nine-game point streak, reaching his 390th career goal and moving past Darryl Sittler to claim second place in franchise history, only behind Mats Sundin.
Mitch Marner made an assist, surpassing George Armstrong for fifth on the franchise’s all-time points list, and now holds 714 career points.
On the Penguins side, Sidney Crosby shone with a goal and two assists. He moved past Bobby Hull into 18th place on the NHL’s career goals list and overtook Gordie Howe for 10th in league assists, amassing 611 goals and 1,050 assists throughout his career.
Rickard Rakell also had a standout performance for Pittsburgh, scoring twice and marking his 500th NHL point. Additional goals came from Bryan Rust and Cody Glass, while Joel Blomqvist made 27 saves.
The Maple Leafs are currently riding a hot streak with eight wins in their last nine games, consistently putting up at least three goals in each victory. Meanwhile, the Penguins are struggling with six losses in their past seven outings, including a recent defeat to Boston at home.
Key moments included Nylander’s overtime entry into the zone and scoring a decisive wrist shot. A notable statistic for the Maple Leafs is their perfect record this season of 27-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Looking ahead, Toronto is set to host San Jose on Monday, while Pittsburgh will travel to face Colorado on Tuesday.
