Maple Leafs Struggle in Columbus, Drop 6-2 Decision to Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ momentum hit a wall Tuesday night, as they fell 6-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in what turned out to be a challenging back-to-back for the team.

Fresh off a home victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning the night before, the Leafs arrived in Columbus early Tuesday morning. However, the quick turnaround seemed to take its toll. From the opening whistle, Toronto appeared out of sync, managing just six shots in the first period. The Blue Jackets capitalized on Toronto’s sluggishness, lighting up the scoreboard with three first-period goals.

Columbus Sets the Pace Early

The Blue Jackets set the tone early, with James van Riemsdyk opening the scoring just over five minutes into the game. Justin Danforth quickly followed suit, notching his first of the season a mere 52 seconds later, extending Columbus’ lead. Mathieu Olivier added a third goal before the end of the period, giving Columbus a commanding advantage that the Leafs never recovered from.

The second period didn’t offer much respite for Toronto. Sean Monahan scored his fourth goal of the season to make it 4-0 early in the frame, pushing the Leafs further into a hole.

Though Matthew Knies found the net in the second period and Nicholas Robertson added another goal late in the third, Toronto’s efforts were too little, too late. Columbus was relentless, with Olivier adding a second goal, and Danforth’s strong two-assist performance further piling on the damage.

Missed Opportunities and a Lackluster Start

The Maple Leafs were left looking for answers after their slow start. Dennis Hildeby, who made 32 saves in his third start of the season, did his best to keep Toronto in the game, but the lack of offensive flow and missed opportunities in the early stages proved costly.

While the Leafs have shown flashes of brilliance this season, the inconsistency in performances—especially on the road—continues to raise questions about the team’s ability to find a rhythm. Columbus, on the other hand, found success by mixing up their lines. The shake-up resulted in contributions from across the roster, with Olivier’s two-goal performance and Danforth’s all-around game leading the way. This marks the second time this season Columbus has scored three goals in a period, previously achieving the feat against the Colorado Avalanche on October 12.

Looking Ahead

This defeat leaves the Maple Leafs with just one win in their last three games. They’ll need to regroup quickly as they return home to Scotiabank Arena to face the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

For Columbus, the win provides a boost of confidence as they prepare for their upcoming road trip to Nashville on Saturday.