The trend of a team struggling after a long road trip played out early in the Toronto Maple Leafs return to Scotiabank Arena, as the Columbus Blue Jackets took advantage of the sluggish club early in the game, but the Leafs bounced back as Zach Hyman scored the game-winner tipping in a Morgan Rielly shot with 4:22 left in regulation and added an empty netter in a 4-2 comeback victory on Monday.
Tyler Ennis and John Tavares also scored for Toronto, Mitch Marner and Ron Hainsey had two assists and Frederik Andersen made 37 saves for his league-leading 12th win, which moved the Leafs into top spot of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with 30 points.
“We were skating in mud there (in the first period), it wasn't going very good.” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “We had good goaltending, and (the) sign of a good team (is) that we were able to get ourselves gathered and get playing and stick with it and find a way to win. I thought [Lindholm]'s line did a real good job for us. The guys kind of came alive and found a way, but without Freddie (Andersen), it doesn't happen.
In an unusual game that saw no penalties called on both squads, Columbus dominated the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Leafs 14-6 and taking a 2-0 lead on goals from NHL First Star of the Week Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The tide began to turn in the middle frame, as Andersen kept the Blue Jackets off the board with 11 stops and the Leafs began to chip away with some hard work in the offensive zone. Ennis, who hit the post in the first period, got Toronto on the board with some deft work behind the net, beating Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
Just over four minutes later, Toronto tied the game on a great individual effort by Mitch Marner, who corralled a Kasperi Kapanen stretch pass, cut into the Jackets zone and backhanded a shot towards Bobrovsky and tipped the rebound to an awaiting Tavares for his club-leading 13th goal on the season.
“(Kapanen) just took his time and found Mitch. Obviously, when you can find Mitch in some open space, it's pretty hard to defend him.” Tavares said after the game. “When I see him with it there, I'm just following up and trying to time it right, whether he puts it in or a rebound or he makes a play going against the grain like he did. Just tried to be strong on my stick and it happened to go in.”
Hyman, who entering the game had only one goal playing on the left side of the club’s top offensive tandem, went to the front of the net after a faceoff win and was uncovered to deflect Rielly’s point shot past Bobrovsky for the winning goal.
After their fourth win in a row, the Leafs were excused from an early practice on a travel day to Raleigh and will face the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday before facing the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Friday.
Great stop, but I do not think Freddy saved it from behind his back. Likely got caught somewhere in front. pic.twitter.com/jkHrOWjkFB
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