All Aboard the Colum-BUS: Game 49 - Blue Jackets (5) @ Maple Leafs (1)

The Maple Leafs hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night. The

Jackets, who are one of the teams in the crazy race for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern

Conference has been on an absolute tear coming into this game, going 7-2-1 in their

previous 10 games, including a 6-game win streak spanning from January 2nd to the 16th

.

The Maple Leafs were on a 3-game winning streak of their own, besting Tampa Bay,

Montréal, and New Jersey in their previous 3 contests. These two teams have played some

wild games against each other in recent years. The most memorable was a 6-5 win for the

Blue Jackets on December 14th, 2023, in Toronto, which saw the Maple Leafs overcome a

5-goal deficit in the third period, but Jackets forward Kent Johnson would ice it in overtime.

The Buds came out flying in the first period, picking up the first 4 shots on goal and

generally controlling the pace of play. It took only 1:32 for the Leafs Ryan Reaves and Blue

Jackets Mathieu Olivier to drop the mitts, and it was one of the best tilts of the season so

far. Each competitor let on an onslaught of haymakers, but it ended in a draw as the

fighters let the officials break it up. Another interesting moment would happen a bit later in

the period, as Auston Matthews and Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins would find

each other using each other’s sticks! Merzlikins dropped his stick and ended up with

Matthews’ stick in his hand. Matthews, only seeing the goal stick on the ground, picked it

up momentarily and skated with it, before dropping it in the slot. It was enough for the

officials to call it, and both players ended up getting penalties. It was definitely one of the

those whackier moments of the season. The icebreaker in this contest would come 15:40 into the first frame, as Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli would find himself on a partial breakaway shorthanded and would snap a beauty upstairs past Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby. The Leafs were outshooting the opposition 15-7, but the frame would end 1-0 for Columbus.

The second period would see Toronto continue to pressure Columbus, but they just

couldn’t find a way to beat Merzlinkins. Columbus, bending but not breaking, would extend

their lead 13:40 into the period. Blue Jackets forward Luca Del Bel Belluz would find former

Leaf James van Riemsdyk uncovered for a backdoor tap-in, doubling the lead. Just under 2

minutes later, Adam Fantilli would find the puck in a scramble out front of Hildeby and bury

it to extend the lead to 3. And despite outshooting the Jackets 24-13, they trailed 3-0 After

2.

The third period featured more of the same. The Maple Leafs had opportunities but

could not find a way to beat Merzlinkins. Luca Del Bel Belluz would find a loose puck

behind the Leafs net that Hildeby lost track of. The short-side stuff-in gave the Jackets the

4-0 lead. It took until 9:22 in the third period, but the Leafs would finally respond. William

Nylander would find an Auston Matthews stick out the front, and the superstar center man

pokes it by Merzlinkins, giving the Buds some life. The hope would not last long, as after the

Leafs pulled the goalie during a stretch of 4-on-4, Fantilli would complete the hat trick,

sliding the puck into the empty net and regaining the 4-goal lead at 12:02 into the frame. The game would fizzle out, and the score would finish 5-1.

The Leafs outshot the Blue Jackets 29-19 in this one but only found the back of the

net once. They controlled much of the play, but Elvis had not left the building.

Hildeby finished with a .778 SV% and might’ve wanted a goal or two back, but it probably

would not have changed the game's outcome, as Merzlinkins was just too good. The

Maple Leafs look to bounce back against the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday night. Ottawa

is another team in the crazy rat race for the Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference,

currently sitting in the second spot with 52 points, tied with Montréal (no games in hand)

and Boston (two games in hand), but one back of the Blue Jackets (one game in hand). The

Sens are 5-3-2 in their last 10, but they seem to bring out their best performances against

Toronto time and again. This will be the second matchup for these squads, the first one

featured a Linus Ullmark shutout en route to a 3-0 win in Toronto on November 12th, 2024.

However, the Sens will likely be without him, but he is considered to be day-to-day as of

Thursday.