Game Preview: Blue Jackets Resume Play Post All-Star Break; Face Toronto Back-To-Back Nights

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
31-13-8 (70 points; .673%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE
7:00 P.M. – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 NATIONWIDE ARENA  COLUMBUS OH
TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market)
PROJECTIONS:
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 30%
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER THE 538: 36%
CAESAR'S SPORTSBOOK: TOR -250

Following a league-long All-Star Break of nine days, the Columbus Blue Jackets are set to resume play Friday night with the first half of a home-and-home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto is one of two teams (alongside Minnesota) that the Blue Jackets have not played yet this season. The two teams last met in March of 2022, with Toronto winning 5-4 at Nationwide Arena and giving the 2021-22 season series a 1-1-1 split.

The Blue Jackets last played on the final day of January, extending their losing streak to three games with an overtime loss against the Washington Capitals. Johnny Gaudreau scored his 14th goal in the 4-3 loss, picking up his 49th point of the season. Gaudreau was the lone Columbus representative in the NHL All-Star Break, netting a hat trick in the All-Star game and giving the Blue Jackets a brief (but rare) moment of pride in the 2022-23 season.

Here's what to know when the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets face off at Nationwide before a quick trip north of the border to complete the home-and-home:

TALKING POINTS: LEAFS

• The Maple Leafs will be without Auston Matthews for both games in the series as he continues to recover from a knee injury that sidelined him in January. 
   
• Even without Matthews, Toronto can be extremely dangerous — especially on the power play. Their 25.0% conversion rate is amongst the best in the league, and they have a power play goal in each of their last three games.
   
• It would be smart to assume that Matthews is the heart and soul of Toronto's offensive scheme, and while that's somewhat true, he's not the end-all, be-all of the Maple Leafs attack. Matthews is third on the team, behind William Nylander and John Tavares, in points per 60 minutes. 
   
• The goaltending situation in Toronto is an intriguing one. Both Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray have been solid this season, with the pair nearly identical in save percentage (.913 for Samsonov, .911 for Murray) and a team goals against average of 2.69. That's tied for 7th best in the league but is closer to third (2.63) than 9th (2.69). But Murray went on injured reserve just before the break with an ankle injury, and there doesn't seem to be a clear timetable for his return. For now, Toronto rides with Samsonov.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• Head coach Brad Larsen rolled out lines of Gaudreau-Jenner-Laine and Johnson-Sillinger-Marchenko at practice Thursday. That top line has a goals per 60 minutes of 3.35, which is 25% better than any other forward trio on the team with at least 100 minutes together this season. Rotating lines and switching things around is not within its benefits, but the data suggests that 13-38-29 need to be together day in, day out. Each has 14 goals on the season, tied with each other for the team lead.
   
• Joonas Korpisalo has been the most consistent goalie on the roster this season. With just three weeks until the trade deadline, will his play between the pipes become an audition for a playoff-contending team that needs helps in net? Here's an interesting twist: if Murray's ankle injury becomes a long-term thing, is Korpi potentially playing against his future team this weekend?
   
• Kirill Marchenko still has the same number of assists as you, provided you're not in the NHL. The rookie has 13 points in 28 games; all 13 are goals. The record for most goals without an assist to start a career is 16 — that record could be in jeopardy.

PROJECTED CBJ LINES
Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change