An impressive comeback win on 'Hockey Night in Canada.'
Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko each scored and had an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, on Saturday night from Scotiabank Arena, salvaging a home-and-home split.
Sean Kuraly added a goal 57 seconds after Marchenko's to cap off a three-goal second period. Kent Johnson had the game-winning goal and an assist for the two-point night. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists to add to his team lead of 36, and Mathieu Olivier, Cole Sillinger, and Jack Roslovic also had assists.
William Nylander scored his team-leading 29th goal for the Maple Leafs and had an assist. Mitch Marner had two assists. Marner leads the Maple Leafs with 45 assists and has four assists against Columbus in the last two games. He's riding a six-game point streak (two goals, six assists).
Michael Bunting added his name to the scoresheet with his 50th career goal in the first period, and Morgan Rielly added a goal. Rielly's power-play goal is the first by a Maple Leaf defenseman this season. He's on a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists).
Alexander Kerfoot and Calle Jarnkrok each had assists.
Elvis Merzlikins made 26 saves and picked up his first win since Jan. 14 at the Detroit Red Wings. Joseph Woll made 36 saves in his first career home start and fifth-career start overall.
Auston Matthews did not play (knee). Columbus improves to 5-17-2 on the road while Toronto falls to 20-6-4 at home.
Jackets First-Line Magic
Marchenko had the first-line assignment with Gaudreau and Jenner. Gaudreau can facilitate and Marchenko likes to shoot so could it result in some offensive magic?
The entire line connected on two second-period goals and combined for two goals and three assists on the night.
Jenner's team-leading 15th tally at 4:21 broke the shutout and Marchenko added his first-career assist on the sequence.
Jenner's team-leading 15th from Marchenko, who nets his first-career assist. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/PhbxI8m9QP
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 12, 2023
#CBJ Kirill Marchenko finally recorded an assist! pic.twitter.com/t4EL6Tjupv
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) February 12, 2023
Marchenko's 14th tied the game at 15:01 with Jenner and Gaudreau each picking up the assists.
Marchenko's 14th from Jenner and Gaudreau. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/2WubUSkn5Z
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 12, 2023
Jenner led the team with 23:49 ice time and had a game- and- career-high nine shots. He added two blocked shots and five hits and was +2. Gaudreau was +2 with three shots in 22:35. Marchenko also added two shots in 18:44.
Role Reversal
The Blue Jackets had 21 second-period shots on goal which is their most in a period since Mar. 7, 2020, at the Edmonton Oilers, when they had 21 in the first period. After being outshot 11-4 in the first, Columbus outshot the Leafs 36-18 over the final 40 minutes.
Entering the day's action, Toronto came in second in the league with 73 second-period goals and tied for the fifth-fewest goals allowed (New York Rangers) with 47 for a differential of +26, tied for the best with the Boston Bruins.
Columbus' three-goal period (3-0) changed that.
The Blue Jackets came into the night with 47 goals in the middle frame, the fifth-fewest in the league, and have allowed 78, the worst in the league and the second-worst differential.
Merzlikins Back Between The Pipes
Merzlikins had a tough challenge in his second start in three weeks.
After allowing two goals in the first period, it felt like it might be a runaway for the home boys in blue. Then Columbus gave their goalie some run support after a 3-0 loss the night before between the two clubs.
Merzlikins had a nice evening in goal after settling down and made some big stops throughout the night. Per MoneyPuck, his goals saved above expected was 0.34. Toronto had an expected goals edge of 2.58-2.18.
Valentine's Day Date
The Blue Jackets face the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 pm ET. New Jersey took the first meeting on Oct. 30, 7-1. The Devils fell to the Minnesota Wild, 3-2, in a shootout at Xcel Energy Center.
