Toronto @ Columbus preview
Nationwide Arena
Last Meeting ( Dec 14, 2023 ) Columbus 6, Toronto 5
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to avoid a third straight defeat Saturday when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Maple Leafs enter off a 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Thursday and have been outscored 14-5 in their past two games. Toronto also lost in regulation to the New York Rangers Tuesday -- it's only the second time this season the Maple Leafs have lost consecutive games in regulation.
"It's hard to pinpoint one thing," Leafs center Auston Matthews said of the loss to Buffalo. "I think it was all just disappointing. I think embarrassment is probably the right word to use, just from start to finish, top to bottom. Not nearly good enough. Just a bad hockey game from our team tonight."
Matthews leads the Leafs with 26 goals in 29 games this season and has eight goals and 11 points over his past five games.
William Nylander, the team leader with 42 points in 30 games, extended his point streak to 10 games in Thursday's loss. Nylander has three goals and 12 assists during the streak, which has made him the sixth player in Maple Leafs history with at least three double-digit point streaks in their career.
Goaltender Martin Jones is 3-1-0 with a 3.28 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in five appearances this season with teammate Joseph Woll on injured reserve.
Toronto is 7-3-4 on the road this season and 5-2-3 over its past 10.
Prior to defeating the Leafs, the Sabres dropped a 9-4 decision to the Blue Jackets. Now, Toronto is hoping to have a similar bounce-back in Columbus.
"It's our last game before the break," Matthews said, "so obviously, much like these, the Sabres, the other night against Columbus, took a pretty big loss. We knew they were going to come out, play us hard and want a response from their previous game.
"They had it, and we didn't have an answer, so now it's our opportunity, our turn to take this game, learn what we can from it, move on and try to finish this last game before Christmas on the right note."
The Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets met in Toronto last Thursday, with Columbus surrendering a 5-0 third-period lead before bouncing back to win 6-5 in overtime.
Columbus salvaged a single point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. The Blue Jackets, who sit last in the Metropolitan Division, are 7-9-3 on home ice this season and 4-4-2 over the last 10 games.
Columbus has scored 20 goals over its past four games.
"I sense the confidence that we can create offense. We're good offensively," Columbus coach Pascal Vincent said. "Part of it is because of how we track, come back, and kill plays on the way back, and we're able to counterattack. Now we're starting to feel confident about that part of our game.
"The confidence is growing and growing, and that's a real good sign."
Kirill Marchenko has four goals in the past three games, while forward Yegor Chinakhov has had seven points in five games.
Marchenko and captain Boone Jenner are tied for the team lead with 13 goals, and defenseman Zach Werenski leads the Blue Jackets with 25 points in 32 games.
Netminder Elvis Merzlikins is 7-8-5 with a 3.17 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 21 games this season.
--Field Level Media