TORONTO — Dean Evason had an inkling Adam Fantilli would be the hero for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, long before the puck was dropped.

A day ahead, actually.

Indeed, standing outside the jubilant Blue Jackets dressing room about 20 minutes after Fantilli’s overtime winner gave the visitors a 3-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Columbus coach was asked when he first thought it might be a special night for the young forward.

“Yeah, as soon as we landed in Toronto (Wednesday)," Evason said. "That’s as early as we knew he was into it."

He then broke into a wry grin.

“If we could play all of our games here, he would probably have had 50 (goals)."

Evason was only half joking, given Fantilli’s success at Scotiabank Arena in recent times.

As a boy growing up about

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