Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Prediction, NHL Odds
The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the last teams in the NHL to open their 2019-20 season, and they do so Friday night against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets Betting Analysis
This is Columbus’ first game that counts since losing Game 6 of the 2019 Eastern Conference semi-finals at home to be eliminated by the Boston Bruins. It also would be the last game in a Columbus uniform for the team’s two best players, and two of the best in franchise history – more on them below.
Toronto was 2-1 vs. Columbus last year with the teams splitting the two games in Ohio. Mitch Marner led Toronto with five points (1G, 4A) in the season series, while John Tavares had four (3G, 1A). Auston Matthews played in just one of the three. Frederik Andersen was 1-1-1 with a 3.06 goals-against average and .905 save percentage, and Garrett Sparks won his lone start vs. the Jackets. He’s no longer with the Leafs.
Cam Atkinson (2G, 1A) and Artemi Panarin (1G, 2A) led Columbus with three points each a season ago vs. Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky started all three and was 1-2-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .899 SV.
The favorite has won the past four meetings in the series. The total has gone over in four of the previous six in Columbus.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto opened its season Wednesday at home against the NHL’s worst team from last year in Ottawa, and the Leafs prevailed 5-3 – although Toronto was down 1-0 just 25 seconds in. The Maple Leafs scored four times in the second period, two coming from Matthews and one on the power play. He became just the fourth player in league history to score in each of his first four career openers (Matthews has nine goals total in openers). Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut. Jason Spezza was a healthy scratch, but Coach Mike Babcock said that Spezza will play Friday. The Leafs have won their past four on a Friday.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Arguably no team had a worse off-season than the Blue Jackets, who lost two-time Vezina Trophy winner Bobrovsky (to Panthers), leading scorer Panarin (to Rangers) and last season’s major trade addition Matt Duchene (to Predators) all to free agency. Bobrovsky won 37 games in 2018-19 with a 2.58 GAA, .913 SV and league-leading nine shutouts. Young Joonas Korpisalo figures to start in net more nights than not this year … and will Friday. Panarin led Columbus with 87 points, while Duchene had 12 points in 23 regular-season games after the trade from Ottawa. Columbus was able to sign Gustav Nyquist. The former Red Wing and Shark has had 40 or more points in all six of his full NHL seasons and 20 or more goals four times. Meanwhile, another good player, Brandon Dubinsky, is out a while with a wrist injury.
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