Maples Leafs Shutout Blue Jackets 3-0, Tavares Scores 2

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on the road in Ohio, improving their record to 32-13-8. They currently sit in second place in the NHL Atlantic Division with 72 points behind the Boston Bruins, who have 83. The win snaps a three game losing streak which started before the All-Star break.

The Columbus Blue Jackets fell to 15-33-4 and continue to roam at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, currently sitting in last place.

John Tavares was the hero of the game for Toronto, scoring two goals, while Pierre Engvall added one. Mitch Marner chipped in with a helping hand, dishing out two assists. Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo had 41 saves, despite his team’s losing effort. Ilya Samsonov stopped 30 shots for his third shutout of the season.

Tavares opened the scoring for Toronto at 5:45 of the first period with his team leading 10th power-play goal of the season, slipping a quick wrist shot between Korpisalo’s pads. 

Korpisalo kept the Blue Jackets in the game, making 27 shots through the first two periods. It wasn’t until the third that the Leafs were able to take full control, scoring 2 goals 48 seconds apart from Engvall and Tavares.

The Leafs will be looking to solidify their position in the Eastern Conference in the next 10 games. With 72 points, the team currently only has two teams above them in the Boston Bruins and red-hot Carolina Hurricanes. With the postseason almost inevitably, Toronto will be jockeying for position the next couple months.

Up Next for the Maple Leafs

Next up for the Maple Leafs will be a rematch with the Blue Jackets at home on Saturday night. Given that the Leafs have handily beaten Columbus everytime they have met this season, you can expect another W. Columbus will be looking to improve on their miserable offensive performance and put up a more competitive effort.

Betting on the Maple Leafs

With 29 games left in the regular season and the playoffs in sight, there will be many opportunities to bet on the Maple Leafs. Check out our list of the top NHL online sportsbooks for the best bookmakers for legal sports betting in the province.