| 1 | 2 | 3 (OT) | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 2 |
 |
0 | 0 | 1 (0) | 1 |
|
CBJ GOALS: |
||||
Easton Cowan scored the game-tying goal with just over three minutes left in regulation and William Nylander scored the overtime game-winner for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday night.
The game was scoreless until Zach Werenski put the Blue Jackets ahead with 6:30 to go in the third period. Excluding another Werenski goal that was taken away after a review for offsides, it was the only shot of the night to get past Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll, who finished with 35 saves on 36 shots.
Toronto would tie the game just over three minutes later on Cowan's goal. It marked the seventh time this season that Columbus lost a third-period lead.
In the closing seconds of a back-and-forth overtime, Nylander took advantage of a Blue Jackets turnover and buried his 11th goal of the season, in the process becoming Toronto's all-time leader in overtime goals.
"I'm sure everyone is probably sick of it and sick of hearing it, but at the end of the day we played really good hockey today," said Werenski.
"We're leading in almost every game and late in games, so now it's just finishing it."
Jet Greaves made 22 saves on 24 shots for the Blue Jackets, and Columbus picked up at least one point in a Greaves start for the eighth consecutive game.
Here's how the Blue Jackets missed out on a Thanksgiving Eve victory:
1st Period:
A scoreless first period that told two different stories. The Blue Jackets had an 11-6 advantage in shots on goal and had 25 shot attempts to the Maple Leafs' 10. But it was Toronto who had four of the five high-danger chances in the opening frame and the higher expected goals (0.85 to 0.78) per Natural Stat Trick.
2nd Period:
Another scoreless period puts Columbus in a 0-0 game entering the third period for the first time this season. Toronto had a 9-7 advantage in shots on goals in the middle frame, but it was the Blue Jackets with a 9-8 lead in scoring chances. Both teams had four high-danger opportunities. Werenski had a goal taken off the board after a successful Toronto challenge for offsides.
3rd Period:
(13:30 — CBJ Goal): The first goal of the game is the eighth goal of the season for Werenski. He takes a nice pass from Miles Wood and beats Woll to put the Blue Jackets up 1-0 with 6:30 left in the game.
8 for 8, as Zach Werenski picks up his eighth of the year with 6:30 left in the game to give the #CBJ a 1-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/TuNlhzetY9
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 27, 2025
(16:43 — TOR Goal): Death, taxes, and the Blue Jackets giving up a lead in the third period. Just over three minutes after Werenski's goal, Cowan scores at an angle for Toronto to tie the game at 1-1.
EASTON COWAN TIES IT
— NHL (@NHL) November 27, 2025
@Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/FHpKka7XMV
Overtime:
(4:40 — TOR Goal): Nylander gets the game-winner for the Maple Leafs with just 20 seconds left in overtime. A misplaced pass by Fantilli in the offensive zone led to a breakout for Toronto in the goal-scoring sequence.
NYLANDER WINS IT IN OT TO BECOME THE LEAFS ALL TIME OT GOAL LEADER pic.twitter.com/Q7JVXihQbB
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 27, 2025
| TOR | GAME STATS | CBJ |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | SHOTS | 36 |
| 59% | FACEOFFS | 41% |
| 0/2 | POWER PLAY | 0/3 |
| 3/3 | PENALTY KILL | 2/2 |
| 21 | HITS | 20 |
| 19 | GIVEAWAYS | 15 |
| 6 | TAKEAWAYS | 4 |
| 13 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 12 |
| ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS | ||
| 3.01 | EXPECTED GOALS | 3.21 |
| 53 | SHOT ATTEMPTS | 68 |
| 25 | SCORING CHANCES | 35 |
| 14 | HIGH-DANGER CHANCES | 11 |
| Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com | ||
Stat Chat:
-
Luca Pinello skated 16:20 in his NHL debut, including 2:07 on the power play. He was also on the ice in overtime. "He plays the game hard, plays it right," said Evason. "He's got a skill set that makes plays."
-
Brendan Smith, who also made his Blue Jackets debut in this one, skated 10:55 as part of the third pairing on defense.
- The Blue Jackets continue to excel on the penalty kill after some early-season strugglers. They went 2/2 and are now 23-of-27 (85.1%) for the month of November.
Up Next:
Another home game comes Columbus' way Friday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins make their way to Nationwide Arena for the first time this season. Puck-drop on Black Friday is set for 7:00 p.m.
