The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena. Coming off a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets that ended a five-game point streak, Columbus aims to rebound with a record of 10-8-2 against Toronto's 9-9-2. Key returns and injuries will shape both lineups for the 7 p.m. ET matchup.
The Blue Jackets, playing their sixth game in nine days across multiple time zones, fell 5-2 to the Jets on Tuesday, snapping their point streak. Defenseman Zach Werenski reflected on the effort, saying, 'I don’t hate the way we worked or played, but we can eliminate some of those breakdowns and we’re probably in a closer game tonight.' Coach Dean Evason noted momentum issues: 'Every time we had a little push, then it sagged on us again a little bit.'
Columbus makes one lineup change, inserting forward Yegor Chinakhov for Zach Aston-Reese after Chinakhov was a healthy scratch in Winnipeg. Goalie Jet Greaves starts, boasting a .923 save percentage in his last four outings and a 10-1-0 record with .949 save percentage in Toronto starts. Scratches include Dysin Mayo and Aston-Reese, while Erik Gudbranson (upper body) and Boone Jenner (upper body) remain sidelined.
Standout performers include Werenski, who reached 400 career points with a goal in Winnipeg and leads NHL defensemen with 72 shots on goal. Kirill Marchenko's 12-game point streak (3-12-15) ended, while Adam Fantilli has four goals in his last six games and Charlie Coyle nears 500 career points with 2-8-10 in his last 11. Blue Jackets defensemen lead the NHL with 15 goals.
Toronto, under coach Craig Berube in his second season, has struggled defensively at 3.70 goals against per game (31st) but scores 3.50 per game (4th). William Nylander leads with 27 points (tied for fifth in NHL), followed by John Tavares (11-14-25) and Matthew Knies (5-17-22). Auston Matthews, with nine goals, misses his fourth straight game despite practicing fully. Goalie Anthony Stolarz (6-5-1, .884 SV%) is out longer than expected after a November 11 injury, with Berube calling it 'worse than we thought.' Joseph Woll returns from personal matters, and Scott Laughton is back after missing six games.
Injuries plague Toronto, including Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Nicolas Roy and Knies. Columbus won 6-3 on October 29 and holds a 22-20-1 all-time edge, winning five of the last seven meetings.