The Toronto Maple Leafs halted a troubling slide in the standings with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night. Goaltender Joseph Woll was the undeniable star, turning aside 35 shots to keep his team in a contest that was scoreless for over 53 minutes.
Woll Stands Tall in a Goaltending Duel
The game evolved into a tense goaltending battle, with Woll and Columbus's Jet Greaves exchanging big saves. The deadlock was finally broken with just 6:30 remaining in the third period when Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski beat Woll on the team's 28th shot. The Leafs' prospects looked dim, but the team showed resilience.
With the clock winding down, William Nylander set up rookie Easton Cowan for the tying goal with only 3:17 left in regulation, sending the game to overtime and setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
Nylander Delivers the Overtime Winner
The extra period belonged to the Maple Leafs. Nylander, who had already notched a crucial assist, completed the comeback by scoring the game-winning goal late in overtime. The victory was only Toronto's second in its last nine games (2-5-2), a much-needed result that lifted the team out of last place in the Eastern Conference, especially after the Buffalo Sabres also lost.
The win was particularly significant as it came on a night when the Leafs welcomed back three key players from injury: Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Nicolas Roy. Despite the lineup boost, the team struggled with rhythm early on, taking three first-period penalties.
A Crucial Road Victory
Coach Craig Berube's decision to shuffle his lines, moving Max Domi to play with Matthews and Knies, paid off by spreading the offensive threat. The team's defensive effort was also a highlight, as they held an opponent to two or fewer goals for only the third time since October 16.
Toronto also caught a break in the second period when a potential Columbus goal from Werenski was called back after a successful offside challenge by the Leafs' video crew. The team now looks to build on this momentum as they continue a challenging four-game road trip, with the U.S. Thanksgiving benchmark for playoff positioning looming large.
