A win. In Columbus? In this economy?

It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done.

William Nylander netted the OT winner to set the franchise record (15) and Joseph Woll played out of his mind (35 saves) to help the Leafs get back on track with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Blue Jackets.

Having said all that, it’s American Thanksgiving and the Leafs find themselves on the outside looking in on a playoff spot. Does that matter? Well, that’s where the conversation started on the Thursday edition of Leafs Morning Take. While the folks south of the border eat turkey, we deliberate on the postseason and try to piece together what all of this means. Through 23 games, the Leafs are 10-10-3. Lucky for them, the Eastern Conference – in general – has had a chaotic start. Miraculously, the Leafs find themselves just four points out of a playoff spot.

We spent a lot of time talking about Nylander. He had himself an interesting night. By his standards, he was not good. And still, he finished with one goal and one assist. Since the day he was drafted, he’s been a polarizing player. That was one UGLY defensive play that led to a shorthanded 3-on-1 for Columbus. Thankfully, Woll stood tall, which was the story all night. The ensuing animated conversation between Berube and Nylander was fun to document, too. It is what it is, but once again, Berube was able to motivate Nylander. They have an interesting relationship. On top of that, we gave some love for Easton Cowan, who had another great game. John Tavares was terrific as well. He’s been steady all season long.

After that, John Shannon of 100% Hockey stopped by to weigh in. We talked the U.S. Thanksgiving barometer, Nylander’s rollercoaster night, and what the Leafs need to do to find their way out of this. As John put it, yes, they won, but they could easily lose the final four games of this road trip. The jury’s still out on this team —that’s for sure. John also hit on Matthews, the injuries, and where Berube stands in all this.

David Pagnotta will be in for Jay Rosehill on the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We’ll preview Toronto’s back-to-back in Washington and Pittsburgh, respectively. Also, Dan Riccio, 1/3 of OFF THE ROSTER, will stop by to promote Toronto’s newest sports show and talk some Maple Leafs, too.

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