Jackets come back to sting Leafs in OT
The Toronto Maple Leafs must think they get paid for overtime, but they also have to do the required work.
For the third straight home game, they went to an extra period — but this was no stirring comeback, rather a disappointing letdown when they were up 2-0 on the Columbus Blue Jackets with five minutes to go. Artemi Panarin won it 3-2 with 1:49 to play in the extra period.
The sometimes sloppy Leafs dropped their drudgework on Frederik Andersen’s desk, but their goalie did his best to keep pace. The most active goaltender in the NHL, facing more than 1,200 shots, needed to be good again versus the relentless Jackets.
The game’s first half was scoreless, as Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky duelled. Andersen had the busier first period and made more saves after his club took the lead.
However, Columbus’ 28th shot pinballed and became a pop fly that landed behind Andersen, credited to Jordan Schroeder, his first of the year. Shortly after, the Jackets intercepted a Morgan Rielly-to-Patrick Marleau pass and Pierre-Luc Dubois made it 2-2.
After Tyler Bozak missed what would have been his third straight game-winner, the Jackets finished it on an odd-man rush.
The only game on the calendar Monday, the Leafs tied Boston with the point for second in the Atlantic Division, but the Bruins hold four games in hand.
The scoring stalemate was broken at 11:09 as James van Riemsdyk reached out for a Roman Polak shot and pulled it back inside Bobrovsky’s post. That gave him 18 goals, one behind Auston Matthews.
Leading scorer Matthews did draw a Josh Anderson slashing penalty, setting up the struggling Leaf power play to build on the lead. William Nylander, with room to wind up, put one under the bar, in-and-out in a flash, his third on special teams.
It was then Bobrovsky’s turn to shine, making huge stops, a couple without a stick.