Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Justin Danforth (17) fans on the shot as Toronto Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly (44) defends during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Dec. 14, 2023.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
The Maple Leafs came within a whisker of a miraculous victory on Thursday before they fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-5 in overtime at Scotiabank Arena.
Moribund for 40 minutes, Toronto scored five times in the third period to forge a tie. Auston Matthews had two goals in a span of 21 seconds, the latter with 44.4 seconds remaining, to send it to extra time.
It was the first time the Maple Leafs had a five-goal comeback since Dec. 30, 1989, when they defeated the Bruins, 6-5.
Kent Johnson beat Ilya Samsonov with 1:34 left in overtime – his second goal of the evening – to give the visitors the victory. The overtime was electrifying – full of end-to-end rushes and dramatic stops by the goal tenders – before Johnson finally put it away.
Elvis Merzlikins had 43 saves for the Blue Jackets, who improved to 10-16-5. Samsonov turned away 29 of the 35 shots as the Maple Lafes fell to 15-6-6.
Did you expect a somewhat easy Toronto victory over the 15th-best team out of 16 in the NHL’s Eastern Conference? If so, you probably also believed Shohei Ohtani was on a plane last Friday en route to Pearson Airport.
After playing well in two games in New York, the Maple Leafs stumbled through the first 40 minutes at home before they came alive in the third period. Pulsating music and bright lights filled the arena until then, along with a bad performance by the home team.
Columbus scored three times in a span of six minutes in the second period. At one point and boos – well deserved – filled the air. It was 5-0 after 40 minutes and Toronto players were jeered as they headed to the dressing room.
“I asked them to play hard in the third period and loved how the guys came back,” Sheldon Keefe, the Toronto coach, said. “I felt like there was much to gain and wanted them to focus on giving our fans something to be proud about.”
For the most part, things have been going so well for the Maple Leafs that their fans have not had much to complain about. Instead, their umbrage has been directed at Islanders’ followers for booing John Tavares every step of the way on Monday on Long Island and jeering at the anthem singer for botching O Canada. (Other than not knowing the words and breezing through it cha-cha style in less than a minute, she was great.)
Well, now they have something to make them at least a little batty.
“We had our game at times and just lost our way,” Keefe said. “Obviously a lot of what went on tonight was not acceptable.”
Before the game, kids crowded the glass and waved signs at Toronto players. Two of the best: “Trade My Brother for a Puck” and “Hey Max [Domi], I Lost My Two Front Teeth Too.”
Columbus is last in the Metropolitan Division and entered Thursday with two wins in 13 games as the visitor. Then it went out and almost spanked a team that steamrolled the Rangers on Tuesday.
The Blue Jackets went ahead 1-0 with 13:41 left in the first period when Patrik Laine scored on a sharp wrist shot after receiving a crisp pass from Johnson directly in front of the Toronto net. They increased the lead to 2-0 six minutes later when Johnson tipped a shot by defenceman Andrew Peeke past Samsonov.
In between, Toronto’s big winger Ryan Reaves was helped off the ice with an apparent leg injury. Reaves lost his footing and banged into the boards and appeared to be in considerable pain.
“He is going to be out for a while,” Keefe said.
The deficit would likely have been worse through 20 minutes if not for Samsonov’s play. He turned back a handful of dangerous chances, including a point-blank shot by Dmitri Voronkov and another by Johnny Gaudreau a half-minute apart.
That magic touch was gone by the end of the second period. By then Samsonov had allowed five out of 26 attempts in.
The wheels came off when Justin Danforth, Yegor Chinakhov and Gaudreau each scored a few minutes apart.
Imagine for a moment that Gaudreau signed with the Maple Leafs two summers ago rather than with Columbus. Let me point out that Toronto showed no interest in him, but for the sake of this exercise, let’s pretend it did.
Gaudreau is currently in the second season of a seven-year deal that pays him just under US$10-million annually. His goal on Thursday was only his fifth in 31 games and gives him 16 points.
If that happened in Toronto to one of its stars, the faithful would be outside Scotiabank Arena with pitchforks and torches.
The meeting was the first of three between the teams and the first of three to be played in December. The Maple Leafs travel to Columbus on Dec. 23 and Dec. 29.
Toronto had earned a point in 11 of its preceding 13 meetings against Columbus but barely had a pulse for a majority of this one. William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Jake McCabe each had goals in the third before Matthews got his two.
It was the first contest in a three-game home stand, which continues on Saturday versus the Penguins and Tuesday against the Rangers.
“We put ourselves in a position where it was a tough game to get through,” Keefe said. “But it turned out to be fun.”