Nylander scores in overtime as Maple Leafs beat Wild 2-1

© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (88) celebrates after his overtime goal against the Minnesota Wild with Auston Matthews (34) and Morgan Rielly (44) during NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — William Nylander scored 1:05 into overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Friday night.

David Kampf also scored for Toronto (36-15-8), and Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves. Nylander added an assist to give him 70 points on the season.

Minnesota (32-21-6) had won four in a row, including a 2-0 victory at Columbus on Thursday. Brandon Duhaime scored for the Wild, and Filip Gustavsson made 22 stops.

© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (88) celebrates after his overtime goal against the Minnesota Wild with Auston Matthews (34) during NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Leafs are set to head out on a five-game road trip that includes their annual swing through Western Canada. They won’t play again at Scotiabank Arena again until March 11.

Nylander stripped Frederick Gaudreau off the puck in the Minnesota zone before beating Gustavsson for his 33rd goal of the season.

© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (88) scores againsr Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) during overtime NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Wild opened the scoring on a strange first-period sequence. Duhaime’s centering pass went off Toronto’s Calle Jarnkrok and sneaked by Samsonov for his seventh.

The Leafs responded before the period was over. Kampf got his sixth from in tight off a Nylander setup from behind the net.

Playing their first game against an opponent in a postseason spot at the start of play since Feb. 1 against Boston, the Leafs got a power play in the second, but came up empty.

The Leafs’ fifth-ranked man advantage got another opportunity with under eight minutes left in the third, but Gustavsson stopped a Nylander one-timer.

© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (88) scores against Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) during overtime NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Wild then got their first power play with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, only to have Samsonov and Toronto’s penalty killers hold firm.

© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander (88) celebrates after his goal against Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) during overtime NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

MURRAY POISED TO RETURN

Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said before the game that goaltender Matt Murray (ankle) is expected to join the team at practice Saturday. The 28-year-old Murray hasn’t played since getting pulled Jan. 17 after allowing four goals on eight shots in a 5-4 overtime victory against Florida.

© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov, right, watches the puck as Maple Leafs’ Timothy Liljegren (37) and Minnesota Wild’s Marcus Foligno (17) battle and Maple Leafs’ Mark Giordano (55) defends during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP

UP NEXT

Wild: Host Columbus on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: Visit Seattle on Sunday.

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