Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen watch the puck during their matchup in Toronto on Monday.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
The Toronto Maple Leafs do not like doing anything easy these days.
And so it was on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre, where the Leafs coughed up a late two-goal lead to send the game into overtime, where the Columbus Blue Jackets managed to prevail for a 3-2 victory.
The winning goal was provided by Artemi Panarin, who poked the puck into the gaping side of the net past Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen, who deserved better on this night.
The Columbus winner came moments after Blue Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky robbed Tyler Bozak on a breakaway with a nice pad save.
"Some nights when you're ahead you get on your heels and the other team takes it to you – that wasn't the case at all," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. "It was actually the other way around. But they scored on their opportunities they were given."
It was a rugged and tightly-played affair where the goal scoring did not get going until about midway through the second period when James van Riemsdyk made a deft deflection of a Roman Polak shot from the point that moved Toronto in front 1-0.
For the Toronto winger, it was his 18th goal of the season against a feisty Columbus team that has had Toronto's number of late.
The Leafs took a 2-0 lead into the third period where Columbus made it tense late, with a goal by Nick Foligno at the 15:25 mark.
Foligno, who was an offensive pest all night, was mixed up in traffic near the Toronto crease when the puck floated up high over Anderson's head and into the net.
Both goaltenders played well as the Leafs outshot the Blue Jackets 37-33.
The Columbus comeback was complete when Pierre-Luc Dubois broke into the slot free and easy after a poor Toronto line change and fired home a wrist shot with 2:47 remaining to send the contest into overtime.
"We had some chances, couldn't finish," said Toronto defenceman Ron Hainsey, who logged close to 27 minutes of ice time, tops on the Leafs. "They keep playing. They're a hard working team, they're well coached, they know what they're doing.
"They put a couple in on us and then the overtime. We've been on the right side of overtime this week until today."
The Leafs came in on a bit of a roll, having won their previous two outings, both in shoot-outs – including a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in their last outing on Saturday night.
The Blue Jackets came in following a 3-2 shoot-out win over the Florida Panthers in Columbus on Sunday night and did not arrive in Toronto until the wee hours of the morning on Monday.
Regardless, Babcock warned that his team would have to be at its best, pointing to a dominating 4-2 Columbus win over his squad back on Dec. 20.
"I just think they slapped us around last time we were in their building, and we've got to be ready to play," Babcock said before the game.
Columbus has been tough on the Leafs of late, now having won six of its last seven games against Toronto, including the last four in a row at the ACC.
Defenceman Travis Dermott, who played in his first NHL game for Toronto on Saturday after being promoted from the American Hockey League Marlies, was back in the lineup for Monday's game, paired with Jake Gardiner.
Dermott is a left-handed shot playing on the right side. He might want to summon his inner Gordie Howe, a noted ambidextrous shooter during his hey-days with the Detroit Red Wings, if he wants to ensure his longevity with the Leafs this season.
"In an ideal world, he'd be a right hand shot and he would have been on the team all year," Babcock said.
An energetic opening frame did not produce any goals.
The Blue Jackets outshot Toronto 11-8 but Andersen was equal to the task. His best save came in the period's later stages when he flashed some mean leather to gather up a dangerous shot by Foligno while Columbus enjoyed the man advantage.
Toronto's penalty kill, clicking along at a close to 84 per cent success rate heading into the contest, was excelling again. The Leafs killed off a third-straight Columbus power play early in the second period, not allowing a shot on goal in the process.
After that was done, Andersen had to be sharp to make a chest save on a dangerous foray by Panarin, who curled into the slot and let one fly.
It was then time for van Riemsdyk to work his magic in front of the Columbus net, craftily redirecting a shot by Polak behind Bobrovsky for a 1-0 Toronto lead at the 11:09 mark.
Just over five minutes later, after weathering an offensive storm by Columbus in their own end, the Leafs made it 2-0 on a power play marker by William Nylander.
Nylander, playing the right point, got the puck and moved in quickly, unleasing a laser that beat Bobrovsky upper shelf to the short side.