Blue Jackets rally for OT victory against Maple Leafs

TORONTO -- The Columbus Blue Jackets tied it with two goals late in the third period, and Artemi Panarin scored with 1:49 left in overtime for a 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre on Monday.
Defenseman Zach Werenski backhanded a pass from below the right face-off circle to the left post for Panarin, who put it into the empty net with goaltender Frederik Andersen out of position.

"Tonight's win is such an important experience for us," Panarin said. "The team now knows that even when we are losing throughout the game, it doesn't mean anything, as there is always a chance to come right back and win. We are very happy. These two points are huge for us."
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Nick Foligno and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves for the Blue Jackets (25-16-3), who have won two games in a row and three of four following a three-game losing streak (0-2-1).
Bobrovsky got his second start in two days after making 42 saves in a 3-2 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
"I wouldn't say it's easy," Bobrovsky said of playing back-to-back games. "I think it's all about focus. Every game, it's a new challenge and you try to be ready and work hard."
Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said he is not reluctant to give Bobrovsky starts on consecutive days.

"I don't buy into the back-to-back stuff," Tortorella said. "We found out about Bobrovsky, (the last time) we gave him three or four days' rest, we felt he struggled a little bit. We call them as we see them as the schedule comes at us."
James van Riemsdyk and William Nylander scored, and Andersen made 30 saves for the Maple Leafs (25-16-3), who lost for the first time in three games.
"I didn't think we came out and sat on it at all, we outshot them 14-4 in the third and, I thought, did a lot of really good things," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. "We made a couple of mistakes -- lost a face-off and didn't box out, a line change where we could have been patient; we were under no pressure and put it out and they came in on an odd-man rush. In the end that cost us the hockey game.
"It's all part of the learning process, we've got to get better."
The Blue Jackets scored twice in 1:48 in the third to tie it 2-2.
Foligno scored at 15:25 to make it 2-1 when he redirected Jordan Schroeder's wrist shot from the right-wing boards up and over Andersen.

Dubois tied it 2-2 at 17:13 when he shot past Andersen's blocker from the slot.
"No, it didn't go through my mind (that it wasn't our night)," Dubois said. "There was a little frustration when you can't score sometimes, but we kept going with it and talked about it in the room after the second period. We had chances and we got rewarded."
Van Riemsdyk scored to put the Maple Leafs up 1-0 at 11:09 of the second period when he deflected a point shot from Roman Polak past Bobrovsky's right pad.
The Maple Leafs went up 2-0 at 16:02 when Nylander scored on the power play with a wrist shot from the right face-off dot over Bobrovsky's glove.
Toronto was 1-for-2 on the power play, and Columbus went 0-for-3.

Goal of the game

Dubois' goal at 17:13 of the third period.

Save of the game

Bobrovsky stopping Tyler Bozak on a breakaway at 2:59 of overtime.

Highlight of the game

Bobrovsky's save on Connor Brown at 14:48 of the second period.

They said it

"It's huge for the guys in the room. We know there's no easy games ever, but back-to-back, they're waiting for us, just to have an opportunity to win a hockey game and get four points on a tough weekend, it's a real good sign and guys should feel good. That's a hard team to come back on." -- Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno
"I think we played a really good game, at least 50 minutes or so I think we played great and maybe started passing up a couple of shots down there and could have put it away in the third. We didn't, and they get a good bounce and tie it up." -- Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen

Need to know

Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones had two assists, was plus-1 and played a game-high 27:53. He has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in his past 11 games. ... Blue Jackets forward Sonny Milano did not play in the third period because of an upper-body injury. Tortorella did not have an update. … The Maple Leafs are 15-1-1 when leading entering the third period.

What's next

Blue Jackets: At the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN, MSG-B, FS-O, NHL.TV)
Maple Leafs: Host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV)