Maple Leafs at Blue Jackets
The Toronto Maple Leafs broke out of a baffling scoring slump last time out and hope to build off that effort when they visit the suddenly struggling Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs had managed a total of four goals in four games, including losses in three straight, before scoring four times in the first period en route to an 8-1 victory over Carolina on Tuesday afternoon.
Leading scorer Auston Matthews missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury, but the Maple Leafs finally were able to overcome his loss in the offensive zone as Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak posted four points apiece. Matthews is set to travel with the team but is not expected to play against Columbus, which is coming off a 7-2 setback at Boston on Monday - its third loss in four contests. The Blue Jackets have allowed 20 goals in their last four games and have lost five of eight overall but have played well at home (12-6-0). “I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘We’re going to do this, this and take that guy out of the lineup. ... Bench him.' That’s not going to happen,” Columbus coach John Tortorella told the team’s website. “We have got to grow together here through a pretty tough couple of - probably three or four - games here that we haven’t played well.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (21-13-1): Matthews is expected to do some skating in Columbus but could lose his team lead in points as James van Riemsdyk (25) has pulled within one of the former first overall pick. The line of Bozak, Marner and van Riemsdyk (team-high 16 goals) finished with 11 points in Tuesday’s win while William Nylander scored a goal for just his second point in eight games this month. Backup Curtis McElhinney is expected to get the start on Wednesday after Frederik Andersen earned his 18th win against Carolina.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (20-13-1): Sergei Bobrovsky (198 career wins) surrendered 18 of the 20 goals over the last four games and faced a season-high 45 shots against Boston, including 16 in the first period. Leading scorer Artemi Panarin (28 points) has managed just one shot in his last two games, but Josh Anderson has recorded three goals in his last five contests. Seth Jones has scored twice in his last three games after going 17 contests without a tally and defense partner Zach Werenski leads all NHL blue-liners with 10 goals.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto C Nazem Kadri (13 goals, 23 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in eight consecutive games.
2. Columbus C Alexander Wennberg has recorded one goal and three assists in his last three contests.
3. The Blue Jackets have won four of the last five meetings, but the Maple Leafs won the last matchup in Columbus.