In Toronto Monday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets needed a two-goal rally in the final five minutes of their game with the Maple Leafs to force overtime.
In the extra session, Artemi Panarin scored with just under two minutes left to give the Jackets a 3-2 win.
“Tonight’s win is such an important experience for us,” Panarin said. “The team now knows that even when we are losing throughout the game, it doesn’t mean anything, as there is always a chance to come right back and win. We are very happy. These two
Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves to help the Blue Jackets defeat the Maple Leafs, 3-2, in OT – file photo courtesy of Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
points are huge for us.”
Nick Foligno and Pierre-Luc Dubois struck in the third period to erase a 2-0 deficit.
“It’s huge for the guys in the room. We know there’s no easy games ever, but back-to-back, they’re waiting for us, just to have an opportunity to win a hockey game and get four points on a tough weekend, it’s a real good sign and guys should feel good. That’s a hard team to come back on,” Foligno said after the win.
Columbus was playing the back end of a two games in two nights stint, they won in a shootout over the Ottawa Senators Sunday.
James van Riemsdyk and William Nylander scored in the middle frame to stake the Leafs to the 2-0 lead.
“I didn’t think we came out and sat on it at all, we outshot them 14-4 in the third and, I thought, did a lot of really good things,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. “We made a couple of mistakes — lost a face-off and didn’t box out, a line change where we could have been patient; we were under no pressure and put it out and they came in on an odd-man rush. In the end that cost us the hockey game.
“It’s all part of the learning process, we’ve got to get better.”
Columbus improved to 25-16-3 with the win.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves to pick up the win, his second in two nights.
“I don’t buy into the back-to-back stuff,” Jackets head coach John Tortorella said. “We found out about Bobrovsky, (the last time) we gave him three or four days’ rest, we felt he struggled a little bit. We call them as we see them as the schedule comes at us.”
[WATCH: All Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs highlights]
Frederik Andersen made 30 saves in taking the loss.
“I think we played a really good game, at least 50 minutes or so I think we played great and maybe started passing up a couple of shots down there and could have put it away in the third. We didn’t, and they get a good bounce and tie it up,” Andersen said after the loss.
The Leafs dropped to 25-16-3.
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