COLUMBUS — The Toronto Maple Leafs scored four times in the second period and defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6–2 at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night.

Easton Cowan and Jack Roslovic each had a goal and two assists. Morgan Rielly recorded three assists, while Auston Matthews and William Nylander each finished with a goal and an assist. Toronto has won two straight after a three-game skid.

Marchenko answers the opening goal

Jake Christiansen gave Columbus a 1–0 lead at 2:38 of the first period. Kirill Marchenko tied the game on a power play at 7:19, redirecting a Matthews shot with his skate in his first game back in Columbus since the September trade that sent Matthew Knies to the Blue Jackets.

The official NHL recap says Toronto acquired Marchenko in a six-player deal on September 28. His goal was a scoring play against his former team, but it did not by itself decide the game.

Four-goal second period

Nylander put Toronto ahead at 2:26 of the second. Matthews, playing his 700th NHL game, made it 3–1 just 46 seconds later. Cowan added a short-handed goal at 6:48 before Roslovic finished a Rielly pass at 12:03, completing a four-goal span of 9:37.

Columbus replaced goaltender Jet Greaves after he allowed five goals on 19 shots. Charlie Coyle scored for the Blue Jackets at 4:13 of the third, and Marshall Rifai answered at 16:58 with the first goal of his NHL career.

Anthony Stolarz made 35 saves for Toronto, according to the NHL’s official recap. The Leafs improved to 5–4–2; Columbus fell to 3–5–0 after losing four of its past five games.

Sources: NHL.com’s official game recap; NHL gamecentre record; Reuters/Field Level Media report.

Conceptual hockey editorial illustration. It is not a photograph or reconstruction of a particular play in the game.