DENVER (Interstat) — William Nylander scored 12:59 into overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night at Ball Arena. Easton Cowan opened the scoring for Toronto in the first period, but Colorado responded with two quick goals from Cale Makar and Brock Nelson. Bobby McMann tied it in the second, and Auston Matthews gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the third. Martin Necas forced overtime for Colorado with a late tip-in. Nathan MacKinnon had three assists for the Avalanche. Joseph Woll made 30 saves for the Maple Leafs, who won their third straight and improved to 23-22. The Avalanche, who fell to 33-12, had been projected as heavy favorites. The teams will meet again in Toronto on Jan. 25.

DENVER (Interstat) — William Nylander scored 12 minutes and 59 seconds into overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night at Ball Arena, snapping the Avalanche’s six-game home winning streak. The Maple Leafs, who led 2-0 early, coughed up a 3-2 third-period lead but recovered to win their third straight game and improve to 23-22. The Avalanche, who got a goal and an assist from Martin Necas, fell to 33-12. Nylander’s game-winner, his 16th goal of the season, came after a turnover by Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon at the Toronto blue line. Oliver Ekman-Larsson collected the loose puck and sprung Nylander on a 2-on-1 with Auston Matthews. Nylander kept it himself, snapping a wrist shot past the glove of Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner. The goal capped a back-and-forth contest that saw Toronto strike first. Rookie Easton Cowan opened the scoring at 11:15 of the first period, beating Miner with a wrist shot for his seventh of the season. Colorado responded with two quick goals late in the period to seize momentum. Defenseman Cale Makar tied it at 16:12, finishing a tic-tac-toe play with Necas and MacKinnon for his 14th. Just 1:41 later, during a power play, Brock Nelson gave the Avalanche the lead with a slap shot, assisted by MacKinnon and Makar. Toronto evened the score at 4:12 of the second period. Bobby McMann, who was a physical presence all night, fired a wrist shot past Miner for his 14th goal, making it 2-2. The Maple Leafs reclaimed the lead at 10:24 of the third period. With the teams playing 4-on-4 after coincidental minors, Matthews took a pass from William Nylander and ripped a wrist shot for his 22nd goal of the season, assisted by Nylander and Ekman-Larsson. Colorado pushed back and tied the game with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. Necas deflected a MacKinnon point shot past Toronto goaltender Joseph Woll for his 21st, sending the game to overtime and setting the stage for Nylander’s heroics. Woll made 30 saves for Toronto, including several key stops on MacKinnon and Necas in the third period and overtime. Miner stopped 25 shots for Colorado. MacKinnon, despite the costly overtime turnover, was a dominant force with three assists, giving him 45 for the season. Makar finished with a goal and an assist, while Necas added a goal, an assist, four shots and two penalty minutes to his line. For Toronto, McMann’s goal led a strong effort from the bottom six, as he added six shots and two penalty minutes. Matthews’ goal was his team-leading 22nd. The Avalanche entered the game as heavy favorites, with statistical models giving them a 68.3% chance to win and projecting a 5-2 victory. The combined seven goals went under the pregame over/under line of 6.5. The Maple Leafs continue their road trip Tuesday night in Utah against the Mammoth. The Avalanche, who had won 10 of their last 12 games overall, host the Nashville Predators on Friday. The two teams will meet again in Toronto on Sunday, Jan. 25.

Avalanche Host Maple Leafs in Monday Night Showdown DENVER (Interstat) — The surging Colorado Avalanche will look to extend their dominance on home ice when they host the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs at Ball Arena on Monday night. The Avalanche (33-11) enter as one of the NHL’s elite, boasting a .750 points percentage and coming off a commanding 4-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Goaltender Trent Miner stopped all 29 shots he faced in that victory, highlighting a Colorado machine that has won eight of its last ten games. Conversely, the Maple Leafs (21-22) sit below .500 and are searching for consistency. They arrive in Denver following a 2-1 overtime road win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, which snapped a two-game skid. Toronto has shown a recent pattern of alternating wins and losses. A player to watch for Toronto is forward Scott Laughton, who scored the overtime winner against Philadelphia. He has points in two of his last three games and brings a physical edge, recording 12 hits over his last ten contests. The Avalanche’s recent performances have been fueled by balanced scoring and stout defense, having outscored opponents 29-11 over their last five victories. Their upcoming schedule offers little respite, with a four-game road trip looming after Monday’s contest. For Toronto, this game kicks off a challenging four-game Western road trip. The Maple Leafs will need to find a way to solve a Colorado team that has been nearly unbeatable at home this season to build any momentum. The teams are set for a quick rematch, as the Avalanche will travel to Toronto for a game on Sunday, Jan. 25. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST Monday at Ball Arena.