@ Columbus

In a performance that can only be described as "efficiently mediocre," the boys managed to get outshot 36-24 by a Columbus squad that usually treats defense as a suggestion. For most of the contest, the strategy seemed to be "let the goalie handle it," a bold tactic that almost backfired when Zach Werenski finally beat the system late in the third period. Just when the collective sigh of a thousand disappointed fans was about to shatter windows across Ontario, Easton Cowan popped up to knot the score and remind us all why we shouldn't have turned off the TV in a fit of rage.

Leave it to William Nylander to wait until the final seconds of overtime to decide he felt like winning. His game-winner secured a 2-1 victory that serves as a perfect microcosm of being a Leafs fan: pure frustration followed by a sudden, confusing burst of joy that we all know is probably a trap. It’s nice to get the two points on the road, but let’s keep the parade permits on hold. Beating Columbus while being dominated on the shot clock isn’t exactly a championship blueprint, even if it does keep the existential dread at bay for a little while longer.