Game #38 Preview: John Tavares Leads Maple Leafs into Columbus to Face Streaking Jackets
Here’s what you need to know.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets
Friday, December 28, 2018 - 7:00 EST
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
TV: Fox Sports Ohio - Radio: 97.1 WBNS FM
Opponent’s Blog: Pension Plan Puppets
Toronto Maple Leafs, 25-10-2, 52 points, 2nd Atlantic, 2nd East
@
Columbus Blue Jackets, 22-12-3, 47 points, 2nd Metro, 4th East
After falling behind in the third period of their matchup with the New York Rangers on Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied to forced overtime thanks to a slapper from Zach Werenski before Pierre-Luc Dubois delivered the winner in overtime. The Jackets registered their season-long fifth straight win and extended their points streak to seven straight games.
As a reward for their big win, which saw the Jackets go 4-0-0 in four straight divisional games, the Jackets went home to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs did not play on Thursday and are rested for Friday’s matchup. The Jackets, hot as of late, would look to place their winning streak on the line against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference (in their final matchup with the Leafs in the regular season).
Player to Watch
William Nylander
For the first time this season, and the last time in the regular season, the Blue Jackets will face a Toronto Maple Leafs lineup with William Nylander present. Nylander held out until the eleventh hour on December first to get what he felt he was owed, and it ended with him signing a six year contract with a $6.96 million cap hit per year. Since his return, Nylander has played nine games and has just 0-2-2 in those games while playing just under 16 minutes per night. Nylander, playing alongside Auston Matthews, is a proven goal scorer who will get his touch back eventually. With no shortage of threats in the Leafs lineup, the Jackets cannot afford to let Nylander fall off the radar.
Jackets Notes
Cam Atkinson has scored in both matchups with the Leafs this season ... Sergei Bobrovsky was named the first star of the week last week, beating Leafs defenseman Morgan Reilly for the honor ... Columbus is 3-7 in their last ten Friday games ... Columbus is 1-4 in their last five games playing with zero days rest ... Oliver Bjorkstrand has a two game goal scoring streak ... Columbus is 11-0 on Thursdays this season ... Columbus has points in seven straight games
The Other Bench
Auston Matthews was named the captain of the Atlantic Division all star team ... he joins fellow captains Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, and Nathan MacKinnon ... Matthews, despite missing time with an injury, has 19-15-34 in 23 games ... Morgan Reilly leads all defensemen in the NHL with 13 goals and 44 points ... This is Toronto’s first game after the Christmas break, last playing in a 5-4 come from behind overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings
Season Series
11/19/2018 CBJ 2 @ TOR 4
11/23/2018 TOR 2 @ CBJ 4
12/28/2018 TOR @ CBJ
Stats
| Toronto | Columbus | |
|---|---|---|
| 3.78 (2) | GPG | 3.25 (10) |
| 2.78 (10) | GAPG | 3.00 (17) |
| 23.8% (7) | PP% | 13.8% (28) |
| 79.6% (17) | PK% | 80.6% (13) |
| 50.46% (11) | EV Corsi % | 49.20% (20) |
| 1.040 (1) | EV PDO | 1.010 (8) |
| John Tavares, 24 | G Leader | Cam Atkinson, 23 |
| Mitchell Marner, 38 | A Leader | Artemi Panarin, 28 |
| Mitchell Marner, 50 | P Leader | Artemi Panarin, 39 |
| Zach Hyman, 42 | PIM Leader | Pierre-Luc Dubois, 40 |
| 13-5-1 | Home / Road | 10-7-2 |
| 6-2-2 | Last 10 | 6-3-1 |
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
| Artemi Panarin | Pierre-Luc Dubois | Cam Atkinson |
| Nick Foligno | Boone Jenner | Josh Anderson |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | Alexander Wennberg | Lukas Sedlak |
| Markus Hannikainen | Brandon Dubinsky | Riley Nash |
| Ryan Murray | Seth Jones |
| Zach Werenski | Markus Nutivaara |
| Scott Harrington | David Savard |
| Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Joonas Korpisalo |
Toronto Maple Leafs
| Andreas Johnsson | John Tavares | Mitchell Marner |
| Kasperi Kapanen | Auston Matthews | William Nylander |
| Patrick Marleau | Nazem Kadri | Connor Brown |
| Par Lindholm | Frederik Gauthier | Trevor Moore |
| Morgan Reilly | Ron Hainsey |
| Jake Gardiner | Nikita Zaitsev |
| Travis Dermott | Justin Holl |
| Frederik Anderson |
| Garret Sparks |