With a win against Columbus on Thursday, the Maple Leafs can pull three points behind the Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division.
With a win against Columbus on Thursday, the Maple Leafs can pull three points behind the Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division.
After two games in New York, the Maple Leafs are back at home to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Columbus is coming into Toronto with only one win in their last five games. They're also only one point up on the Ottawa Senators for last in the Eastern Conference.
To say the team has had a rough season would be quite the understatement. One of their star players, Johnny Gaudreau, who signed a seven-year, $68.25 million deal in July 2022, only 15 points in 30 games this year.
They'll also be missing Boone Jenner on Thursday as he's out for six weeks with a broken jaw. It's expected that NHL rookie Adam Fantilli will get more ice time because of the injury to Jenner.
The Blue Jackets' leading scorer is defenseman Zach Werenski, who has 21 points in 28 games. That puts him in the top 15 of NHL scoring amongst defensemen in the league.
Columbus's goaltending hasn't been bad, though, with Elvis Merzlikins getting a majority of the starts for the team. The 29-year-old has just six wins in 19 games, but holds a .910 save percentage.
Toronto, on the other hand, has only one loss in regulation throughout the last 10 games. They're record in that span is 6-1-3, and Auston Matthews is leading the charge with eight goals through those 10 games.
With Martin Jones getting the start against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, it's expected that Ilya Samsonov will have the net on Thursday night against the Blue Jackets.
In terms of any lineup changes for Toronto, we'll know more about that — and the starting goaltender — following the Maple Leafs' skate on Thursday morning.
Where to Watch
For those in the Maple Leafs' region, you'll be able to catch Thursday's game on Sportsnet Ontario. Throughout Canada, the matchup can be steamed on Sportsnet+. In the Columbus area, the game is on Bally Sports Ohio, and for the rest of the United States, you can stream it on ESPN+ or Fubo Sports US.
The rest of the world can stream the game on NHL Live. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 p.m. ET.
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