Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - James van Riemsdyk had two goals with one assist to help the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.
Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and Daniel Winnik each registered a goal and one assist for the Maple Leafs, who got 18 saves from Jonathan Bernier.
Toronto snapped a three-game skid and posted its first win under interim head coach Peter Horachek.
"I thought there was a clear focus yesterday and clear focus this morning. I felt it," Horachek said.
Ryan Johansen extended his goal streak to a career-high five games, supplying both tallies in only Columbus' fourth loss since the start of December (12-3-1).
Sergei Bobrovsky gave up four goals on 31 shots hours after signing a four- year contract extension with the Blue Jackets.
Van Riemsdyk went off for roughing with 3:34 left in the third period. Bernier made a glove save on David Savard from the high slot during the power play.
After the penalty expired, van Riemsdyk scored into an empty net to seal the win with 1:13 remaining.
A misplay in the neutral zone by Toronto led to a breakaway goal by Johansen 3:15 into the contest.
The Maple Leafs tied it at the game's 8:30 mark when Bozak banked the puck in off the right skate of Columbus defenseman Cody Goloubef, and then grabbed a 4-1 lead with three goals in a 2:51 span later in the first period.
Bozak set up Winnik with a pass from behind the net for the go-ahead goal at 14:32.
Just 1:59 later, Kessel scored from the doorstep off a van Riemsdyk cross- crease pass on a 5-on-3 power play.
Toronto was still on the man advantage when Kessel returned the favor and dished across to van Riemsdyk, who beat Bobrovsky from the right circle with 2:37 remaining.
"Too many unforced errors, too many penalties. There were some plays we had to execute and we didn't do it. They got a good team with some high-end skill and they made us pay," said Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky.
Johansen potted his second goal on a power play at 3:43 of the second period. After taking a pass from Savard, Johansen skated in from the point and snapped the puck past Bernier.
Game Notes
Kessel played in his 406th consecutive game, the second-longest games played streak in Maple Leafs history. Tim Horton owns the record at 486 ... Toronto posted its first home win over Columbus since Feb. 19, 2008, snapping a four- game losing streak ... Johansen has six goals and five assists during a nine- game point streak ... Referee Dean Morton left in the first period following a collision with Toronto forward David Clarkson in the corner and didn't return.
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