Maple Leafs outlast Columbus, 5-4

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs scored three times in the opening frame on Tuesday, and then held on for a 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets.

Auston Matthews hit for a pair of goals for the Leafs.

“It’s good to get back in the win column,” Mathews said. “But that third period, obviously the end was a win but letting them come back, there was a lot of things we’d like to clean up and make sure we kept playing like we did in the first two periods.”

Jack Campbell made 28 saves in the Toronto win

“It feels nice to score, I don’t know how else to put it, I just try to play hard every night and continue to build chemistry with whether it’s Simmonds on that right side or whoever, and then Bunting being with him continuously for the past month or so,” Matthews said. “We’re just feeding off each other, trying to make plays and be responsible in our own end.”

Morgan Reilly had four assists for the Maple Leafs.

“We’re happy with the result, but the process needs some work, especially late, the entirety of the third with the exception of a couple of minutes,” Rielly said. “But to come back after a back-to-back trip and have a home win, that’s great, but we need to support our goalie a little bit more at the end.”.

The Maple Leafs added two goals in the middle frame to to Columbus’ one to take a 5-1 lead to the third.

In the final stanza, the Blue Jackets struck for three goals.

The Leafs improved to 18-7-2.

Oliver Bjorkstrand struck for two goals for the Blue Jackets.

“I can build on it,” Bjorkstrand said. “It’s nice to get some shots on net; it’s been a little bit of a struggle. I think I’ve been battling hard but I had to find a way to get some more chances and I think I did better on that tonight.”

Columbus dropped to 13-11-0.

William Nylander, Matthews, and Nick Ritchie scored in the first period for the Maple Leafs.

“It felt good,” Ritchie said. “It was a big win for us here at home after back-to-back couple of losses. It had been a while (since I scored), a lot of games, probably as long as it’s been since I’ve played hockey. Hopefully I can build some confidence and momentum off that.”

After Bjorkstrand cut the lead to 3-1 for the Blue Jackets, the Maple Leafs got two goals, seven seconds apart, from John Tavares and Matthews for a 5-1 lead.

“I didn’t like much about the game,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We found ways to strike offensively whether it was on the power play or off the rush, but in terms of how we like to play, there wasn’t a lot to like about that game tonight. What it tells me is we are a tired group right now.”

Bjorkstrand scored in the third period to start the Blue Jackets’ abbreviated rally.

“No quit on our part,” Columbus head coach Brad Larsen said. “We shot ourselves in the foot on four of the five goals really. It’s tough when you play a team like that, you know they are dangerous, and when you gift them some it’s tough. You get behind 3-0 and then you really have to chase it, but we went right to the final buzzer there, which was good to see.”

Sean Kuraly cut it to 5-3 for the Maple Leafs at 16:25.

Max Domi scored with a single tick on the clock for the 5-4 final.