Pierre-Luc Dubois notches hat-trick and OT winner as Leafs blow a 3-goal lead

Yes, you can say it. The Leafs blew a 3-0 lead

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing an elimination game they truly did not see coming. Frankly, we didn’t either, and perhaps pundits ought to expect the worst with Toronto at this juncture. As strange as the 2020 qualifying round feels, separate bubbles and all, the Leafs flare for the dramatic remains a standard.

Facing an 0-3 deficit, Torts and the Jackets were able to get on the board at the tail end of the second period, a critical tally heading into a third period that could very well tell the story of this series. Two more goals from Pierre Luc-Dubois later, and the Jackets are one win away from advancing.

Pierre Luc-Dubois changed his tune in Game 3

The young Jackets center deserves a ton of credit after taking some heat from head coach John Tortorella after Game 2. The two were seen getting in a heated exchange on the bench, with Dubois seemingly ignoring the veteran coach. Yet, the 22-year-old wasn’t disciplined heading into Game 3, and as we’ve seen, that turned out to be the right call.

“It’s a process. He’s a young player still learning to understand momentum swings in games, what is needed in certain situations when things aren’t going right for him or the team,” Tortorella said after Game 2. “But that’s all part of these young players trying to learn these playoff-type situations.”

Torts’ patience isn’t always a strength of his, but in this case, it clearly paid off.