The Columbus Blue Jackets head to Toronto to face off against a Maple Leafs team that is a bonafide contender in the Atlantic Division.
The Blue Jackets will be on the back end of a back-to-back making this an especially tough test.
The Maple Leafs has a top-nine that rivals any in the league. Offensively they are one of the best in the league, it will be a big test for the Blue Jackets defensively, who are still trying to find their footing.
VIDEO: John Tortorella
Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Artemi Panarin | 43 GP, 10-25-35 | 18 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 43 GP, 9-12-21 | 77 | Josh Anderson | 41 GP, 14-10-24 |
| 22 | Sonny Milano | 34 GP, 8-5-13 | 38 | Boone Jenner | 36 GP, 4-8-12 | 71 | Nick Foligno | 43 GP, 8-7-15 |
| 11 | Matt Calvert | 31 GP, 4-9-13 | 45 | Lukas Sedlak | 30 GP, 4-3-7 | 28 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 43 GP, 8-18-26 |
| 64 | Tyler Motte | 26 GP, 3-1-4 | 14 | Jordan Schroeder | 15 GP, 0-0-0 | 37 | Markus Hannikainen | 24 GP, 2-2-4 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 39 GP, 11-8-19 | 3 | Seth Jones | 43 GP, 7-19-26 |
| 65 | Markus Nutivaara | 36 GP, 2-12-14 | 58 | David Savard | 42 GP, 2-6-8 |
| 4 | Scott Harrington | 21 GP, 1-1-2 | 7 | Jack Johnson | 43 GP, 2-5-7 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Sergei Bobrovsky | 35 | 20-12-3 | 2.41 | .921 | 4 |
| 70 | Joonas Korpisalo | 8 | 4-4-0 | 3.10 | .904 | 0 |
Three Storylines
- Dubois vs. Matthews: There is little doubt about who has had the better career thus far between Auston Matthews and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Nonetheless, this matchup between two lottery picks is one of the more exciting that Dubois will face this season. Both are smart with the puck and both have lightning quick shots. Who gains the edge tonight is a fun storyline.
- Shaky Depth: The Maple Leafs have name players on there bottom pairing and on the fourth line. They are players that have been around a while but now at there age, not able to perform up to snuff. Matt Martin, Roman Polak, and Leo Komarov dot the lineup. The Blue Jackets have their own depth issue but if they can find favorable matchups against those lines, it would give them a distinct advantage.
- Which Blue Jacket Team Will It Be: Before their game against the Florida Panthers, the Blue Jackets played two defensive-minded games with little offense. Last night they unloaded 48 shots on goal. Against a high flying Maple Leafs team, who is going to show up? Trying to get in a foot race with the Leafs would be a bad idea. If the defensive shell comes back, do they have the ability to pop out of it?
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