Columbus Blue Jackets (24-16-3) at Toronto Maple Leafs (25-16-2)
JANUARY 8, 2018, 7 p.m. (AIR CANADA CENTER)
How's this for an assignment? After going the distance and then some in a long shootout win Sunday night, the Blue Jackets have to cross the northern border for a Monday night clash against a young, fast Toronto Maple Leafs term firmly set to make the playoffs for a second year in a row in the Atlantic Division.
Despite that, head coach Mike Babcock wants to see more out of his team. Why's that? Toronto bookended the New Year with games against Vegas and Tampa Bay and lost each of them, falling 6-3 vs. the surging Golden Knights and being shut out 2-0 by the Lightning.
“We have our work to do,” Babcock said. “The other question is, ‘Are we as detailed as the other team or do we work as hard or harder?’ There’s lots of room for growth.”
You Oughta Know: Morgan Rielly
So much of what is written about Toronto focuses on the team's young firepower up front, and Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner (among others) certainly deserve it. But there's a young stud on the blue line too in Rielly, who is a 23-year-old from Vancouver who eats minutes like Vince Wilfork eats ribs. Rielly played 26:31 in the team's win Saturday vs. the Canucks, and that wasn't even a season high (that was a 26:57 performance Dec. 23 at the Rangers. Already in his fifth season, the 2012 draft's No. 5 overall pick is nearing a career high in points, with four goals and 26 helpers this year for 30 points, just six behind his best.
Fast Facts
- The Maple Leafs allow 33.9 shots on goal per game, 29th of 31 NHL teams.
- The Maple Leafs have posted an all-time record of 2859-2752-783-145 in 6,538 regular season games.
- Toronto's power play is struggling, with the team scoring just three times in its last 22 chances.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: Columbus won the opening game of the three-game season series Dec. 20, taking a 4-2 victory in Nationwide Arena.
ALL TIME SERIES: Columbus is 12-10-1. With just 23 games all-time between the teams, Toronto is the team the Jackets have played the least in their history outside of Vegas.
Keys to the Game
ONE: Handle the big guns. Matthews, Marner and Nylander were all rookie sensations last year, and this season they have combined for 93 points, with Matthews leading the way with 33 points in 33 games. It's easier said than done, but Columbus will have to match up with the explosive scorers.
TWO: Win it close. Toronto is 13-2-2 in one-goal games, while Columbus is 13-3-3. In other words, these are two teams used to being in tight ones. Can the Jackets capture this battle of strength vs. strength?
THREE: Take two. Not just two points, but two points on the second night of a back-to-back. Toronto plays fast but the Blue Jackets must match their game even after Sunday's contest.
Panthers Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Zach Hyman | 43 GP, 7-15-22 | 34 | Auston Matthews | 33 GP, 19-14-33 | 29 | William Nylander | 43 GP, 8-22-30 |
| 47 | Leo Komarov | 43 GP, 4-6-10 | 43 | Nazem Kadri | 41 GP, 14-10-24 | 12 | Patrick Marleau | 43 GP, 15-9-24 |
| 25 | James van Riemsdyk | 42 GP, 17-10-27 | 42 | Tyler Bozak | 42 GP, 8-13-21 | 16 | Mitch Marner | 43 GP, 5-25-30 |
| 15 | Matt Martin | 41 GP, 3-7-10 | 33 | Frederik Gauthier | 3 GP, 0-0-0 | 28 | Connor Brown | 43 GP, 10-6-16 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ron Hainsey | 43 GP, 3-13-16 | 44 | Morgan Rielly | 43 GP, 4-26-30 |
| 51 | Jake Gardiner | 43 GP, 3-16-19 | 8 | Connor Carrick | 24 GP, 2-3-5 |
| 3 | Travis Dermott | 1 GP, 0-1-1 | 46 | Roman Polak | 24 GP, 2-3-5 |
| # | Player | GP | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Frederik Andersen | 35 | 22-12-1 | 2.64 | .922 | 3 |
| 35 | Curtis McElhinney | 7 | 3-4-0 | 2.78 | .916 | 1 |
