William Nylander Made Maple Leafs History With Game-Winning Goal vs. Blue Jackets

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander broke the franchise record for OT goals after his late winner vs. the Blue Jackets.
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander broke the franchise record for OT goals after his late winner vs. the Blue Jackets. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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The Maple Leafs won in dramatic fashion Wednesday night, thanks to some late heroics from star forward William Nylander.

Goals were hard to come by in regulation, with the first 60 minutes against the Blue Jackets producing a 1–1 tie. The overtime period didn’t provide much fireworks, either, and the game appeared destined to reach a shootout before Nylander intervened with just 20 seconds remaining.

After a give-and-go with Auston Matthews in front of the net, Nylander darted to his right and fired a shot on goal that snuck past Jet Greaves, sending Toronto home with a 2–1 win.

The goal was Nylander’s 11th of the season, second-most on the team, and it marked the 15th time he’s delivered a game-winning goal in overtime. That’s the most all-time in Maple Leafs history, surpassing the record of 14 he previously shared with Matthews and Mats Sundin.

Nylander’s late winner capped off just the second road win of the season for the Maple Leafs, who now sit at 10–10–3 on the year. It’s Toronto’s second win in its last nine games as the team looks to turn the corner on a rough start to the season.

Nylander recorded points on both Maple Leafs goals during Wednesday’s win, and he’s now up to 31 points on the year, with 11 goals and a team-high 20 assists.

The Leafs take the ice next on Friday in a matchup against the Capitals, with puck drop set for 5:00 p.m. ET.


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.