In their final game of a four game, nine day road trip, the Columbus Blue Jackets played a less-than-average first period, which ended up dooming them as the Toronto Maple Leafs have won their first game of 2015 as the Jackets fell 5-2.
Things started off well for the Blue Jackets, as they were the first to get on the scoreboard when Ryan Johansen forced a turnover in the neutral zone and took it all the way home, going top shelf on Jonathan Bernier to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the opening period belonged to the Maple Leafs. The first Toronto goal of the game came off the skate of Cody Goloubef after Tyler Bozak fed the puck in front, trying to find Phil Kessel on the opposite side of the net, but instead it hit Goloubef’s skate and went right through the five-hole of Sergei Bobrovsky. That tied the game at one, and just by the way it was scored, we should have known bad things were on the horizon.
Daniel Winnik and Kessel and James van Riemsdyk would score the next three goals, Winnik from the slot to the left of Bobrovsky, Kessel finished off a tip-in off the stick of Fedor Tyutin to go up 3-1 and JVR’s goal somehow slipped between Bob and the post, giving Toronto a 4-1 lead before the end of the first period. To make matters worse, both Kessel’s and JVR’s goals were on the power play, as the Jackets at one point gave Toronto a 5-on-3. Three unanswered goals by the Maple Leafs in a span of 2:49 and two power play goals in less than 55 seconds.
Unlike in Arizona to kickoff the road trip, Columbus wasn’t having a problem being on the same page. Their problem was not having their head in the game, and the 2:49 of lackadaisical play lead to the ultimate demise in terms of the game.
The Jackets did come within striking distance in the second period when Joey struck again, this time on the power play, to pull within 4-2, but an empty net goal in the closing moments of the third lead to the 5-2 final.
Speaking of the power play, it wasn’t very good tonight for the Blue Jackets. Aside from Johansen’s goal, Toronto’s penalty kill dominated, clearing the zone at every opportunity and the Jackets truly couldn’t get anything going.
That was also a theme for the whole evening. The Blue Jackets couldn’t get anything going offensively, there was no rhythm to the game.
So, the Blue Jackets end their year-opening road trip 2-2, but have little time to dwell on tonight’s mishaps, as the New York Islanders come to Nationwide tomorrow.