Maple Leafs shock Blackhawks in wild last-minute comeback win

The Toronto Maple Leafs stunned the Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night with an amazing feat.

Down 2-0 midway through the third period, the Maple Leafs pushed, eventually getting on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal at the 9:59 mark of the third.

The goal breathed new life into the Maple Leafs. However, it seemed like the Blackhawks were going to hold on to the lead.

But then, the Leafs pulled off an amazing feat. First, Nick Robertson drew a penalty that set up a tremendous goal by Auston Matthews to tie the game. The goal was Matthews’ third power play tally. Most importantly, it tied the game with about three minutes to go in the third.

It seemed like the game was headed for overtime. But then, Dakota Joshua scored off the next face-off, giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead.

Here’s a look at the goal, as shown on B/R Open Ice’s official X account:

The goals were actually scored eight seconds apart. The feat marked the fourth-fastest goals in team history. For Joshua, it was his fourth goal in his last six games. The back-to-back tallies stunned the Blackhawks after goalie Spencer Knight looked poised to steal yet another victory for Chicago.

Instead, the Maple Leafs capped off an unbelievable comeback after an awful first period. It’s worth pointing out that the Leafs would not have won the game if not for a solid performance by Joseph Woll in his return to the crease.

Woll bought the Maple Leafs enough time to get back into the game. Tuesday night’s comeback marks the second time this season the Leafs pulled off such a remarkable turnaround. Toronto came back from a 3-0 deficit on November 3, equally stunning the Pittsburgh Penguins at home.

Tuesday night’s win over the Blackhawks was a welcome one after back-to-back losses to the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers. In particular, Saturday night’s loss to the Oilers was a stinker.

That’s why this comeback victory over the Blackhawks becomes even more meaningful. The Leafs have four more games before the Christmas break. So, the club will still have plenty of time to hit the break on a hot streak.