Preview: Jackets Head North of the Border Powered by Shootout Win

Monday, January 8th – 7:00 pm EST
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV: Fox Sports Ohio
Radio: 97.1 WBNS FM
Opponent’s Blog: Pension Plan Puppets

Columbus Blue Jackets; 24-16-3, 51 points, 3rd Metropolitan, 6th East

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Toronto Maple Leafs; 25-16-2, 52 points, 3rd Atlantic, 5th East

Season Series

12/20/2017 – TOR 2 @ CBJ 4 – game faceoff – preview – recap
01/08/2018 – CBJ @ TOR – game faceoff
02/14/2018 – CBJ @ TOR

The Columbus Blue Jackets are raring to go after last night’s shootout win over the Florida Panthers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for their third win in a row tonight. The last two games were won in a shootout. This season they have a 13-6-0 record at home. However, the Jackets have a 7-4-1-0 all-time record when playing in Toronto. Basically, when the boys head north of the border they bring their “A” game.

Auston Matthews will face the Jackets for the first time this season. The worst thing the Jackets could do is fall into the trap of focusing all their attention on Matthews. Both Vancouver and San Jose fell into this trap and Tyler Bozak made them pay for it. The Jackets need to play man-to-man tonight. Everyone on the Maple Leafs’ roster has the potential to be dangerous. Especially, their defenders.

While the stats show the power play for the Maple Leafs in the top 10 of the league, they have been struggling as of late. On the flip side, the Jackets’ power play is almost dead last. Yet, lately, they’ve been doing alright. If the Jackets can kick their pk unit into high gear tonight, the Maple Leafs power play will start to crumble.

Most importantly, the Jackets need to play tight, clean hockey in the waning minutes of the game. No more shootouts. No more overtime. Just win in regulation.

Projected Lineups