Tavares reaches milestone in Maple Leafs’ loss to Blue Jackets

Mathieu Olivier had a goal and three assists, Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won five of six. Charlie Coyle had four assists, and Elvis Merzlikins finished with 35 saves.

Sammy Blais and Nicholas Robertson each had a goal and an assist, and John Tavares scored his 500th career goal for Toronto. Cayden Primeau had 19 saves as the Maple Leafs snapped a two-game win streak and lost for the fourth time in six games (2-3-1).

Toronto outshot Columbus 9-6 in the first period but trailed by two goals after 20 minutes.

Sillinger gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 6:56 into game, taking a pass from Coyle inside the blue line, skating up on Primeau and beating the goalie with a forehand shot past the blocker. Coyle got his 300th career assist on the play.

Werenski made it 2-0 with 8:44 remaining in the first as he fired a shot past Primeau on the glove side.

The Maple Leafs then had an 18-7 advantage on shots in the second and fell further behind.

Blais, in the lineup in place of William Nylander (lower-body injury) after 10 games as a healthy scratch, got Toronto on the scoreboard at 2:43.

However, the Blue Jackets scored three goals in an 8 1/2-minute stretch later in the period to pull away.

Provorov put a backhander past Primeau at 8:33 to restore the two-goal lead. Sillinger got his second of the night with 6:36 remaining as he scored on a 2-on-1 with Coyle, and Fabbro made it 5-1 a little more than 3 1/2 minutes later as got a drop pass from Olivier and fired it past Primeau from inside the left circle.

Olivier made it a four goal lead at 7:50 of the third, and Tavares and Robertson scored 2:25 apart late to pull the Maple Leafs to 6-3.

Maple Leafs: At Philadelphia on Saturday.

Blue Jackets: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

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