This had the makings of a dandy.
And it delivered.
The Blue Jackets started on time and grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period, thanks to goals from (you guessed it) Cam Atkinson and then Pierre-Luc Dubois. At that point, it looked like the road team was going to assert itself in a big game between two really good teams.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| MAPLE LEAFS | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Toronto woke up in the second period and scored two goals in a little more than four minutes – Tyler Ennis the first and John Tavares the second – to send this game into the third period in a 2-2 tie.
And as it turned out, a penalty-free game was decided on a fluky goal late in regulation. Zach Hyman deflected a point shot with the Blue Jackets' fourth line on the ice after an icing call, giving the Leafs a 3-2 lead with 4:22 to play.
The Blue Jackets had chances to tie the game but couldn't get a third puck past Frederik Andersen. It's their first regulation loss since Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, snapping a seven-game points streak.
Injury Update
None to report.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets are off through the Thanksgiving holiday, and will return to action Friday against these Maple Leafs. Game time is 7 p.m. at Nationwide Arena.
