Joseph Woll willed the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs to something of a fortuitous road win, as they escaped Columbus with a 2-1 overtime victory on Wednesday night.
William Nylander flicked the winning goal past an overcommitted Jet Greaves with 20 seconds left in overtime. It was his franchise-record 15th career overtime winner, breaking a tie with captain Auston Matthews and franchise icon Mats Sundin.
Woll turned away 35 of 36 shots, with Greaves stopping 22 of 24 for his part.
Zach Werenski had a goal called off in the second period but continued to be a nuisance for the rest of the night. Coming back from an injury scare in the last game against Washington, with 6:30 left in regulation, it was a quick snap shot from the dynamic defenseman that finally beat an overworked Woll.
Easton Cowan responded just over three minutes later with the second goal of his young career. A no-look, behind-the-net dish from Nylander wound up sweetly on his stick and over the shoulder of Greaves.
The Jackets seemed intent on ending the game in regulation. Woll used every limb to deny Miles Wood twice at the post with three minutes remaining.
Kent Johnson boasted perhaps the best opportunity of the opening frame, snapping one off the crossbar and into the mesh a little over five minutes in. Matthews responded soon after off a crafty give-and-go with Max Domi, with Knies nearly poking it in after the initial shot snuck under the arm of Greaves.
As has been their tendency in the second periods this year, the Leafs found themselves hemmed in their own zone for lengthy stretches. Werenski thought he had opened the scoring with a snap shot just inside the post. The goal was ruled offside after a coach’s challenge, Johnson having crossed the blue line just before his teammate.
The Leafs rebounded late in the period with their first extended possessions of the game. Knies nearly hammered one in close past a sprawling Greaves on a delayed penalty, Toronto’s first power play of the affair.
Perhaps Woll’s best save of the game came in the third period, when defenseman Morgan Rielly was unable to stop a Columbus short-handed breakout. Woll slid across the crease to rob Sean Monahan on the doorstep during a long 3-on-1.
Columbus played the game without the services of their leading scorer, Kirill Marchenko, who has missed two consecutive games with an injury. The Jackets have now dropped three in a row and four of their last five.
