COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 20 (UPI) -- Tyler Wright completed his second hat trick of the season with 34 seconds left in overtime Thursday night as the Columbus Blue Jackets squandered a late lead before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3.
Wright scored his second game-winner of the season off a pretty give-and-go with Ray Whitney. Wright skated in front, got back the puck from Whitney and whipped it over the left shoulder of goaltender Trevor Kidd.
It was the career-high 18th goal of the season for Wright, who had not scored in 19 games since Feb. 5.
Owen Nolan continued paying dividends for the Maple Leafs, scoring the tying goal with 72 seconds to go in regulation. He deflected a shot by Mats Sundin past Marc Denis for his sixth goal in as many games since he was acquired from San Jose on March 5.
Toronto jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals by Sundin in the first period and defenseman Aki Berg in the second. But Wright got Columbus on the board 9:53 into the second, breaking the previous career best he set in 2000-01.
Rookie Rick Nash tied it with 4:44 to go in the period and Wright put the Blue Jackets in front just over four minutes later.
Denis stopped 29 shots to backstop Columbus to its first win against Toronto in three tries this season (1-1-1).
