#1. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (August 7, 2020)
Result: Leafs win 4-3 (OT)
This game was one of the craziest games I can ever remember, but it will always be forgotten because the Leafs couldn’t win the series. I seriously thought that this win would propel the team towards a championship, but that clearly didn’t happen.
So, we all remember the Toronto Maple Leafs being up 4-1 in the third period and losing but it doesn’t typically happen the other way in Leafs-Land. In an empty building with fans watching poolside on a hot summer’s night, Toronto found themselves down 3-0 in the third period. With five minutes left in the game, the season looked finished.
Then, with just under four minutes left, William Nylander made the game 3-1. Okay, cool. They didn’t get shutout, thank god. Flash-forward one minute later and John Tavares makes the game 3-2. Okay, now you have my attention.
Those last three minutes are flying by and the core players are absolutely buzzing. Then, with 27 seconds left it happens. Zach Hyman ties the game and somehow the Leafs push this game to overtime. I’m in shock. How in the world did this actually happen? The season was over five minutes ago!
As we sit on the edge of our seats for intermission and the start of overtime, another break goes Toronto’s way. Columbus’ captain Nick Foligno takes a tripping penalty and the Leafs now have the man-advantage. And here’s what happens:
- Columbus wins the draw
- They can’t clear the zone
- Morgan Rielly passes the puck near the boards to Mitch Marner
- Marner no-looks a pass to John Tavares
- Tavares then saucer-passes it to Auston Matthews
- Matthews buries the one-timer into the back of the night
- Toronto wins!!! How in the f*** did Toronto win!?!?
It was a perfect ending to a crazy night. Matthews deserved the goal as the team’s best player in the biggest moment. It’s unfortunate that the season ended two nights later, but that game will always be remembered as the greatest comeback that no fan attended.