Streaking Blue Jackets hosts Toronto tonight at 7

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

TV:  Bally Sports Ohio           Jeff Rimer (play-by-play), Jody Shelley (color analyst), Dave Maetzold (reporter)              
Radio:  97.1 The Fan              Bob McElligott (play-by-play), Dylan Tyrer (host)

THE MATCHUP

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

2021-22 Record: 25-23-1, 51 pts. (5th, Metropolitan Division)

Goals:  3.27 Goals-For/3.65 Goals-Against… Shots:  29.9 Shots-For/35.2 Shots-Against

Power Play:  17.2 percent (23rd, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  80.4 percent (14th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.0 PIM (2nd, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  8-0-1 (3-1)

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

2021-22 Record: 32-13-3, 67 pts. (3rd, Atlantic Division)

Goals:  3.58 Goals-For/2.73 Goals-Against… Shots:  34.7 Shots-For/30.8 Shots-Against

Power Play:  31.6 percent (1st, NHL)… Penalty Kill:  84.6 percent (6th, NHL)

Penalty Minutes:  7.2 PIM (4th, NHL)… Overtime Record (Shootout):  6-2-1 (2-1)

Players to Watch:  Auston Matthews ranks second-T in the NHL in goals, third-T in power play goals and eighth in points with 33-26-59 and 12 PPG in 45 games this season… D Morgan Rielly ranks fifth among NHL blueliners in assists and seventh in points with 6-36-42 in 48 contests in 2021-22… G Jack Campbell is 23-8-3 with a 2.41 GAA and .922 SV% in 36 contests this season, ranking sixth-T in the NHL in SV% (min. 20 GP).

ALL-TIME SERIES

Results:  Columbus has gone 15-15-1 in 31 all-time meetings vs. Toronto, including 6-8-0 at home… Of Note: The clubs did not meet in 2020-21… The teams met in the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifying Round with the Blue Jackets winning the series 3-2… The road team is 3-1-0 in the last four games of the series… The Blue Jackets are 8-6-0 vs. the Maple Leafs since Jan. 13, 2016 but Toronto has earned victories in five of the last seven meetings since Feb. 14, 2018… The winning team has scored three-plus goals in 18-straight games and four-plus in each of the last seven meetings… Columbus owns both shutouts and the only penalty shot in the all-time series with each team notching a hat trick.

This Season (CBJ, 0-1-0)

Dec. 7, 2021 – at TOR 5, CBJ 4

Feb. 22, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m.)

Mar. 7, 2022 – at Columbus (7 p.m.)

CBJ TEAM NOTES

The Blue Jackets won their second consecutive game with a 7-3 victory over Buffalo on Sunday… CBJ have scored seven goals in back-to-back games for the first time in club history after also posting a 7-4 victory at Chicago on Thursday… The club improved to 7-2-0 in its last nine games with the victory… The club is in a stretch of the schedule heavy in road games with seven of nine games played away from Nationwide Arena from Feb. 8-25.  The only two contests played at home were Sunday vs. Buffalo and Tuesday vs. Toronto… The club ranks second in the NHL in goals-per-game since Jan. 27 (4.67 avg) with the 42 goals scored the most over a nine-game stretch in franchise history… CBJ have scored three or more goals in 29 of their 49 games this season (22-7-0)… The club in 20-3-0 when scoring four-plus goals in a game in 2021-22… The Blue Jackets have scored a power play goal in four of the last six games (5-of-14; 35.7 pct., 3rd in NHL)… Columbus has killed off 44-of-50 opponent chances over the last 17 games (88.0 pct.).  The club ranks fourth in the NHL in penalty kill pct. since January 8… CBJ lead the NHL in win percentage in OT/SO and are two off the League lead in wins (Detroit) with a 8-0-1 record (.889)… The Blue Jackets have trailed in 15 of their 25 victories this season with the club trailing by multiple goals in five of its contests.  The 15 comeback victories are tied for third-most in the NHL… The Jackets rank fourth-T in the NHL in goals (28) and 11th in points by defensemen (114) after combining for 3-3-6 in Sunday’s victory… CBJ boast six 30-point scorers on the team, tied for fourth-most in the NHL (St. Louis) and trailing only Florida (nine) as well as Colorado and Toronto (seven each).

CBJ PLAYER NOTES

J-F Berube turned aside 33-of-36 shots in the win on Sunday in his first NHL action since Apr. 6, 2018 vs. St. Louis (with Chicago)… RW Oliver Bjorkstrand collected an assist on Sunday and has points in five of the last six games (3-2-5)… C Max Domi registered his 200th career assist on Sunday and has 1-2-3 in the last two outings… C Boone Jenner tallied his ninth multi-point effort with 1-1-2 on Sunday and has 9-10-19 with five multi-point efforts in the last 17 contests.  He leads the club in goals, points and power play goals with 21-18-39 and seven PPG in 49 appearances and is on pace to set single-season career highs in both goals and points (30-19-49 in 82 GP in 2015-16)… C Brendan Gaunce collected his first career multi-assist and three point game (1-2-3) while D Dean Kukan notched his first career two goal and three-point outing on Sunday vs. Buffalo… LW Patrik Laine collected multiple points for the third time in four games with two assists on Sunday.  He has posted points in nine-straight games (10-8-18), the second longest points streak of his career (15 GP in 2017-18) and leads the NHL in goals and points since the streak started on Jan. 27… LW Gus Nyquist has tallied 9-12-21 with seven multi-point outings in the last 22 games since Dec. 16 after recording a goal on Sunday… D Andrew Peeke has played 21-plus minutes in each of the last 14 games since Jan. 13 (avg. 24:22)… RW Jakub Voracek ranks sixth-T in the NHL in primary assists (25) and leads the club in assists overall (32)… D Zach Werenski has tallied 2-8-10 in his last 11 games, including points in five consecutive (2-4-6) after scoring his eighth goal of the campaign on Sunday (8-23-31, 47 GP).

MILESTONES

•     RW Oliver Bjorkstrand is two goals from 100 for his NHL career (98-112-210, 349 GP).

•     C Max Domi is one goal from 100 and one point from 300 for his NHL career (99-200-299, 468 GP).

•     C Jack Roslovic is four games from 100 for his CBJ career (20-34-54, 96 GP).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT

•     G Daniil Tarasov (lower body; Injured Reserve on Jan. 4) is out indefinitely

•     C Alexandre Texier (fractured finger; Injured Reserve on Jan. 26) is expected to miss 4 weeks

•     D Jake Bean (groin; Injured Reserve on Jan. 30) is expected to miss 4 weeks

•     LW Eric Robinson (knee; Injured Reserve on Jan. 31) is expected to miss 6 weeks

•     RW Emil Bemstrom (COVID-19 protocol on Feb. 7)

•     G  Joonas Korpisalo (lower body; miss first game on Feb. 17) is day-to-day

•     G Elvis Merzlikins (lower body; missed first game on Feb. 20) is day-to-day

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 184

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