Leafs cash in on Devils’ OT gift to extend win streak to 6

Damon Severson had never scored an overtime goal in the NHL, and this wasn’t how he envisioned his first.

The Devils defenceman backhanded the puck into his own net with 2:22 left in overtime, gifting the Toronto Maple Leafs a 5-4 win over New Jersey on Friday night for their season-best sixth straight victory.

Severson got the puck after Toronto’s William Nylander lost control of it driving toward New Jersey’s net. The 25-year-old Severson inadvertently beat goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood while trying to clear the puck out of danger. Nylander was credited with the goal.

«I was just trying to protect the puck,» said Severson, who was consoled by teammates while leaving the ice. «I was not trying to do anything with it. Protect the puck and then get it out of harm’s way. I just hit it by accident into our own net.»

WATCH | Leafs complete comeback to down Devils in OT:

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded the lead back and forth with New Jersey before William Nylander scored in overtime to give Toronto a 5-4 win.1:46

Nylander set up the play by taking the puck from Jack Hughes. It’s Toronto’s longest winning streak since November of 2017.

«It’s nice to get some puck luck and have bounces go your way,» Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson said after making 24 saves. «Start of the season, felt I was playing well and making other teams have to make good plays to score goals but just as a team we weren’t getting those fortunate bounces to go our way, so it’s nice to get those bounces. We need to create our own luck and bounces.»

Damon Severson (28) and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood of the New Jersey Devils react after surrendering the game-winning goal. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Zach Hyman, Ilya Mikheyev, Kasperi Kapanen and John Tavares scored for Toronto, which witnessed a scary moment in the third period when Mikheyev sustained a deep gash on his right wrist from Hughes’ skate.

«It was obviously scary there, seeing that much blood,» Tavares said. «Obviously, a guy that we care deeply about and was having a great night and playing tremendous for us, so thoughts are with him.»

Ilya Mikheyev of the Toronto Maple Leafs rushes off the ice after being cut by a skate during the third period. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Mikheyev was being held for observation at a hospital.

Nico Hischier, Nitita Gusev, Kyle Palmieri and Jesper Bratt scored for New Jersey, and Blackwood made 32 saves.

«Obviously, it is a tough one to swallow, but it is what it is,» Palmieri said. «Mistakes. You are going to be the hero some nights and but it’s about coming in the next day and being ready.»

Tavares tied it at 4-4 with 11:45 left in the third period with a tap-in power-play goal from Blackwood’s crease. Nylander made the pass to set it up.

The teams combined for seven goals during a wide-open first 40 minutes. Palmieri and Bratt got the last two a little more than three minutes apart to give the Devils a 4-3 lead.

Palmieri scored his 15th of the season on a point-blank shot shortly after lifting Tyson Barrie’s stick to take the puck and tie it at 3. Palmieri jumped on a centre-ice turnover by Kapanen to set up the go-ahead goal by Bratt at 10:11.

Kasperi Kapanen, left, of the Leafs and Kyle Palmieri of Devils collide. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Hyman and Mikheyev scored 19 seconds apart late in the first period to give the Maple Leafs a 2-1 lead.

With the Devils on a two-man advantage, Gusev tied it at 1:42 of the second period. Kapanen put Toronto ahead with a top-shelf shot at 5:18, but the Devils countered with two over the next five minutes for their second lead. Hischier had scored the game’s first goal early.

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