Maple Leafs Fall Short in 5-1 Loss to Blue Jackets
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena, leaving the home crowd of 18,459 disheartened. Toronto struggled to find consistency across all three periods as Columbus dominated with effective even-strength play.
Columbus Strikes First
The scoring opened late in the first period when Columbus forward Adam Fantilli capitalized on a shorthanded opportunity, finding the back of the net with a wrist shot at 15:40. Assists came from Ivan Provorov and Mathieu Olivier, showcasing the Blue Jackets’ ability to generate offense even while defending against Toronto’s power play.
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— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 23, 2025
Leafs’ Power Play Goes Cold
Toronto’s special teams were a key storyline, as the Maple Leafs failed to convert on all three power-play opportunities, despite extended zone time. Columbus’ penalty kill, led by goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, thwarted every attempt and maintained their momentum.
Columbus Extends Their Lead
In the second period, James van Riemsdyk doubled the Blue Jackets’ lead at 13:40 with an even-strength goal off assists from Luka Del Bel Belluz and Kent Johnson. Just under two minutes later, Fantilli struck again, netting his second goal of the night with support from Dmitri Voronkov and Zach Werenski.
A Late Spark from Matthews
Toronto’s lone goal came in the third period at 9:22, when Auston Matthews scored his 20th goal of the season. William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson picked up assists on the play, giving the Leafs a brief surge of energy. However, it was too little, too late.
Blue Jackets Seal the Deal
Columbus responded quickly, with Luka Del Bel Belluz adding an unassisted goal at 5:56. Fantilli completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 12:02, ensuring Columbus’ victory.
Goaltending Comparison
Elvis Merzlikins was stellar for Columbus, stopping 28 of 29 shots and earning the game’s second star. Toronto’s Dennis Hildeby faced a tough night in net, allowing four goals on 18 shots before being replaced in the final minutes for an extra skater.