William Nylander nets OT winner as Maple Leafs beat Penguins

Field Level Media|published: Sun 2nd March, 16:13 2025

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh Penguins

Mar 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) and center Sidney Crosby (87) talk before a face-off against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

William Nylander's goal a minute into overtime gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 6-5 win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon.

Nylander also had an assist, Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews also each had a goal and an assist and Max Domi, Conor Timmins and John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll made 29 saves as Toronto won its fifth straight game and eighth of its last nine.

The Penguins' Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and surpassed Gordie Howe for 10th place on the all-time assists list (1,050) and Bobby Hull for 18th on the goal-scoring list (611).

Rickard Rakell scored twice, Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist and Cody Glass scored for the Penguins. Erik Karlsson and Ryan Shea had two assists each and Joel Blomqvist stopped 27 shots.

Nylander's winner came from the high slot and was his 35th of the season.

Rakell's second goal tied it at 5, 10 seconds into the third period.

Toronto scored on two breakaways in the last 56 seconds of the second period to take a 5-4 lead.

Knies intercepted Karlsson's pass just inside the Maple Leafs' blue line, sped down the ice and fired a shot past Blomquist with one second left in the period to give Toronto the lead.

Tavares had taken a stretch pass from defenseman Jake McCabe and scored on a breakaway to tie the game 4-4.

Rust gave Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead with 4:22 remaining in the middle period. Crosby got the first assist to pass Howe.

Matthews tied the game 3-3, 4:08 into the second period for his 390th career goal, which surpasses Darryl Sittler for second on the all-time Toronto goal-scoring list. Matthews only trails Mats Sundin (420).

Pittsburgh led 3-2 after the first period despite falling behind 2-0.

Domi scored 2:15 into the game. Timmins made it 2-0 at 4:39 into the first period.

Glass put the Penguins on the board with 9:33 left in the first.

Rakell tied it 1:02 later. Crosby got an assist to tie Howe. Crosby surpassed Hull on the power play with 6:09 remaining in the opening period.

--Field Level Media