The Blue Jackets were up against it before their game even started.
Before the puck dropped, the news broke that Yegor Chinakhov and Cole Sillinger were healthy scratches. Then, as warmups began, Jacob Christiansen was ruled out due to a lower-body injury. All of a sudden, the Blue Jackets prospects were down their top three scorers in the tournament.
That didn't matter in the end, as the Blue Jackets rallied to defeat the Maple Leafs for the second time in the tournament, battling back from two one-goal deficits as they ultimately won in overtime, 7-6. The Blue Jackets' fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, James Malatesta, notched a hat trick.
| 1 | 2 | 3 (OT) | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 1 | 2 | 3 (1) | 7 |
| MAPLE LEAFS | 1 | 2 | 3 (0) | 6 |
The Maple Leafs got the scoring started in the first period thanks to Jordan Frasca, but Tyler Angle capitalized on a rebound with 20.9 seconds left to tie things at one apiece.
Then, just one minute and six seconds into the second period, James Malatesta gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead, finishing a shorthanded chance. The Maple Leafs stormed back and scored two unanswered goals from Braeden Kressler and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to take a 3-2 lead, but Josh Dunne notched the equalizer to tie things back up. Before the second period was over, Malatesta added a second goal to put the Blue Jackets back in the driver's seat.
The third period began with the Blue Jackets riding a wave of momentum, as Malatesta hit the post on a breakaway attempt that would have given him a hat trick. Cole Fonstand gave the Blue Jackets some breathing room with a nice shot at the 2:06 mark that found the back of the net, making it a 5-3 game.
Later in the period, after the Blue Jackets killed off a full 5-on-3, Der-Arguchintsev converted on the power play to make it a one-goal game. Then, Malatesta completed his hat trick with a nice tip on a shot from Gerard Keane. Malatesta's third goal of the night made it 6-4, Columbus.
It wouldn't remain 6-4 for long, as Toronto's Nicholas Robertson notched a power-play goal with 4:21 remaining to make it 6-5, Columbus. Then, with under a minute to go and an empty net, the Maple Leafs tied the game via a tipped shot from the point. Right before the period ended, the Maple Leafs took a five-minute major, which put the Blue Jackets on the power play for the entirety of the overtime period. They were able to convert via Angle, who threw the puck on net and saw it deflect in.
Injury Update
Defenseman Jacob Christiansen didn't suit up due to a lower-body injury suffered last night against Detroit.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets are set to begin their training camp on Wednesday, September 22nd.
