Blue Jackets blow 5-goal lead in 3rd, rebound to beat Maple Leafs 6-5 in OT

By The Associated Press on December 14, 2023.

TORONTO (AP) – Kent Johnson scored his second goal of the game at 3:26 of overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 6-5 victory over Toronto on Thursday night after the Maple Leafs overcame a five-goal deficit in the third period.

Patrik Laine, Justin Danforth, Yegor Chinakhov and Johnny Gaudreau also scored for Columbus and Elvis Merzlikins made 43 saves.

Auston Matthews scored Toronto’s final two goals to break a tie for the NHL lead with 23. William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Jake McCabe also scored and Ilya Samsonov stopped 29 shots to help Toronto run its points streak to eight at 5-0-3.

Matthews scored on a one-timer from Nylander that trickled in with 1:15 remaining, then netted another with 44.4 seconds left on a one-timer from Nylander.

Johnson wired home a wrist shot in the extra period.

BLUES 4, SENATORS 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Robert Thomas had two goals and an assist and St. Louis won in interim coach Drew Bannister’s NHL coaching debut, beating Ottawa to end a four-game losing streak.

Bannister was moved up from the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate in Springfield after Craig Berube who was fired Tuesday night.

Pavel Buchnevich added a goal and an assist, Brandon Saad also scored and Justin Faulk had a two assists. Jordan Binnington made 32 saves.

Dominik Kubalik and Mathieu Joseph scored for Ottawa and Joonas Korpisalo made 26 saves. The Senators have dropped three of four.

HURRICANES 2, RED WINGS 1

DETROIT (AP) – Jordan Staal broke a tie midway through the second period and Carolina held off Detroit.

Jack Drury also scored for Carolina and Pyotr Kochetkov made 25 saves. The Hurricanes finished off a six-game trip with consecutive victories after dropping the first four.

Michael Rasmussen scored for Detroit in the second period for his 100th career point. Ville Husso stopped 36 shots for the Red Wings. They have lost four of five.

FLYERS 4, CAPITALS 3, SO

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Bobby Brink scored the deciding goal in the shootout and also connected in regulation in Philadelphia’s victory over Washington.

Sean Couturier also scored in the shootout for Philadelphia. Owen Tippett and Joel Farabee scored in regulation and Samuel Ersson made 27 saves.

Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson each had a goal and an assist for Washington. Connor McMichael also scored.