The Toronto Maple Leafs were back in action last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets for their second game in a week. In the last matchup, the two teams went to overtime and it was none other than Adam Fantilli who always seems to play well against the Maple Leafs who won it. However, tonight had a different outcome, with Toronto looking to avoid Columbus sweeping the three-game season series before American Thanksgiving.
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The Maple Leafs were able to stay in the game that was very defensive and come out with not just one point but two. This is a huge step forward in terms of confidence for a team that has struggled mightily this season. These are the types of games that they can build off and hopefully string together a few wins on the remainder of this road trip.
Easton Cowan Scores Big Goal
The Maple Leafs can thank their rookie Easton Cowan for sending them to overtime. It was late in the third and head coach Craig Berube went back to his second line consisting of John Tavares, William Nylander and Cowan. That gut feeling that he had turned out to be true when the puck was picked up by Nylander behind the net and he made a pretty backhanded pass to the side of the net where Cowan ripped it top shelf.
That not only tied the game but appeared to give the Maple Leafs all the momentum and they would later go on to win it in overtime. The goal also seemed to allow Berube to trust Cowan more, especially in the extra frame because he used him with Auston Matthews fairly early in the period. Goals like this build confidence, especially in young players, which is something that he can build off of.
Nylander Gets Benched then Scores Game Winner
How many players in the NHL can go from being benched for upwards of 10 minutes to scoring the game winner and assisting on the game tying goal? Not too many, but for William Nylander, he lives for moments like that. When the camera panned to the Maple Leafs bench and everyone got to see him and Berube go at each other, it instantly raised questions. And then, when Nylander got caught standing still, which led to the Blue Jackets breaking in on a three-on-one on the PK, it solidified his spot on the bench.
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That was until Zach Werenski scored to take a 1-0 lead and the Maple Leafs got an offensive zone faceoff with less than five minutes remaining in the game. Berube had no choice but to go back to his best line, which included Nylander. He was able to set up Cowan for his game tying goal and in overtime, when he finally got his chance, he made the most of it and sealed the game for his team. That goal puts him in sole possession of most overtime goals in Maple Leafs history, as he passed Mats Sundin and Matthews with his 15th in his career.
Joseph “The Brick” Woll
The entire Maple Leafs organization owes Joseph Woll dinner after that performance. He single-handedly kept his team in the game from the drop of the puck. For at least 55 minutes of the game, he looked like the only player who showed up for Toronto. There were times that he was making desperation saves and looked like he was swimming in his crease, channeling his inner Dominik Hasek. No matter the way, he was trying his hardest to save the next shot and give his team a chance to win. And he did that.
After how it ended for him on Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens when he was pulled, Berube spoke to the media and talked about just how mad Woll was and how he loved to see it. Last night, he showed the entire fan base how mad he was. He played out of his mind and because of that the Maple Leafs were able to win. Which was a lot like what happened last season. If Woll can settle in and give the team great goaltending, their chances of moving up the standings will drastically increase.
