TORONTO — In a game of dramatic shifts, the Columbus Blue Jackets held off a stunning comeback by the Toronto Maple Leafs to secure a 6-5 overtime victory at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. Kent Johnson was the hero for Columbus, scoring the winning goal in overtime, in addition to an earlier assist.
Columbus initially dominated, leading 5-0 after two periods, only for Toronto to rally with five unanswered goals in the third period, sending the game into overtime. Johnson’s decisive strike at 3:26 of overtime, a sharp shot over Ilya Samsonov’s glove, brought relief and triumph to the Blue Jackets.
Yegor Chinakhov and Justin Danforth each contributed a goal and an assist for Columbus, and goalie Elvis Merzlikins returned from illness to make 43 saves. However, the Blue Jackets faced a concern as forward Patrik Laine left the game with an upper-body injury.
Columbus coach Pascal Vincent praised the team’s initial two-period performance and acknowledged the need to learn from the third period’s near-collapse.
Toronto’s comeback was spearheaded by Auston Matthews with two goals and an assist, and Mitchell Marner, who had a goal and two assists. William Nylander also played a key role with a goal and an assist. Despite the loss, the Maple Leafs extended their point streak to eight games (5-0-3).
The third period was a showcase of Toronto’s resilience. Nylander initiated the scoring just 38 seconds into the period, followed by Marner’s creative goal at 3:49. Jake McCabe’s first goal of the season and Matthews’ back-to-back goals in the last two minutes brought the game to a tie, reflecting the team’s never-say-die attitude.
Columbus’s historic win became even more significant as they became the sixth team in NHL history, and the first since 1992, to win after relinquishing a five-goal lead.
Notable performances included Johnson’s plus-4 rating for Columbus in 14:23 of ice time and point streak extensions for Matthews and Nylander. However, the Maple Leafs suffered a setback with forward Ryan Reaves leaving the game due to a leg injury, with coach Sheldon Keefe indicating he might be sidelined for some time.
The Blue Jackets’ victory, while exhilarating, highlighted areas for improvement, particularly in maintaining leads. For Toronto, the game demonstrated their capability for impressive comebacks, even though it ultimately ended in a loss.
