'We Know We Can Score Five': The Maple Leafs' Mindset Behind Five-Goal Comeback to Salvage a Point Against the Blue Jackets
The goal wasn't to score five goals in the third period, but the Leafs got a point in the standings after erasing a 5-0 deficit after two periods.
They were booed off the ice.
The Toronto Maple Leafs went into the second intermission down 5-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday before scoring five in the third period, including a pair of 6-on-5 goals to force overtime before losing 6-5.
It was a wild scene. An outcome they weren't necessarily aiming for.
But Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe did put out an objective for the final frame.
"The goal that I set for the group was to try to get to 20 shots in the period," Keefe said. "With that I was hoping to encourage the guys to attack the net, shoot the puck.
"None of that happens if they don't decide that it's important for them and they're going to work for it. Obviously, I was really happy with that."
William Nylander opened Toronto's scoring on the very first shift just 38 seconds in. Mitch Marner followed up 3:01 later. Jake Mcabe made it 5-3 with his first goal of the season before Auston Matthews scored twice in a 6-on-5 situation late in regulation time to force the overtime session.
Toronto's ability to scores and comeback in games has been demonstrated before, giving Nylander a confidence that the game wasn't over.
“We know we can score five, it wasn’t going to stop us from going out there in the third," Nylander said.
Keefe felt the Blue Jackets deserved the two points for the way they played in the game. Although the first period wasn't great, he felt their first five minutes of the game was strong.
"A lot of what went on tonight was unacceptable," Keefe said.
Mathews moved himself into the sole possession of the league lead in goals with 23 this season. He has nine goals in his last six games. He admitted the first period of the game wasn't great but felt the momentum build following that early first goal for the team in the third.
"It was mostly just sticking together going out there and taking it one shift at a time," Matthews said. "Obviously, the clock is our enemy at that point, but you get one and get another so it happens and just kind of kept it rolling."
The game was Toronto's 13th that went into overtime and it was probably the best scenario for them possible out of all of them in this their 27th game of the season.
"This team has no quit and we have a lot of trust in our locker room," Marner said. "We don't want to be in these position a lot, but when we do get into them, we've got trust in our ability to go out there and do what we do."
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