National Hockey League
Toronto 4, Columbus 2
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Referees: Tom Chmielewski, Corey Syvret
Linesmen: Brad Kovachik, Mark Shewchyk
Attendance: 18597

Zach-Aston Reese scored two goals, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Alexander Kerfoot and Auston Matthews (empty net) also scored for the playoff-bound Maple Leafs. Sam Lafferty added two assists and Joseph Woll made 24 saves for Toronto (46-21-10, 102 points).

The victory put Toronto six points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Each team has five games to play.

Jack Roslovic and Eric Robinson scored for the Blue Jackets (24-45-8, 56 points), who are out of playoff contention.

Jet Greaves played a strong game in stopping 46 shots for Columbus in his NHL debut.

The Maple Leafs won two of three from the Blue Jackets this season.

Toronto took the lead when Aston-Reese scored at 5:10 of the first period on a 16-foot shot after a pass from Justin Holl.

Columbus tied the game when Roslovic scored his 11th goal of the season on a 16-foot wrist shot at 12:22 of the first. Kent Johnson made the final pass after Liam Foudy carried the puck into the Toronto zone.

Toronto led 16-5 in shots on goal after one period.

The Maple Leafs took advantage of a neutral-zone turnover to go ahead 2-1 at 7:25 of the second period. Kerfoot scored his 10th goal of the season, knocking in a rebound after Greaves made a good save on Nick Abruzzese's shot.

The Maple Leafs had a 33-17 advantage in shots on goal through two periods.

Aston-Reese scored his 10th goal of the season at 8:11 of the third period on a tip-in of Jake McCabe's shot.

After scooping up a loose puck in the Columbus defensive zone, Robinson burst down the left side and put a sharp-angled shot past Woll at 12:03 of the third for his 12th goal of the season. It pulled the Blue Jackets within 3-2.

Matthews scored his 38th goal of the season when he shot into an empty net at 18:57 of the third.

Toronto goaltender Matt Murray (head injury) was not in uniform.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Columbus   Toronto
Eric Robinson 1 Points Zach Aston-Reese 2
Eric Robinson 1 Goals Zach Aston-Reese 2
Liam Foudy 1 Assists Sam Lafferty 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Jet Greaves .939 Save Percentage Joseph Woll .923
Jet Greaves 46 Saves Joseph Woll 24
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Columbus 26 2 0-2 3-3 6 25
Toronto 50 4 0-3 2-2 4 32
Upcoming Games
  • Toronto will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Maple Leafs have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .742 after a loss.
  • Columbus will play their next game on the road against New Jersey. The Blue Jackets have a W/L % of .208 after a win and .358 after a loss.