With the Columbus Blue Jackets season over it’s a useful exercise to compare how they did against each team in the NHL. This series (CBJ vs The World) will be evaluating the series the Blue Jackets played against each team in the NHL this season starting at the bottom of the standings and moving up. To see each piece in this series please click here.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs were two very different teams from the beginning of the 2014-15 season and the end of the year. At the beginning of the year it was the start of the Brendan Shanahan as team president era. It was the last chance for head coach Randy Carlyle and general manager Dave Nonis to show that they could win with the team as it was currently constructed. The team performed as they had before; playing streaky hockey that eventually led to long losing skid that was the final straw for head coach Randy Carlyle. By February a “scortched-earth” rebuild had been approved. Fast forward to now and while a lot of the players are still in place both Nonis and Carlyle are gone. Mike Babcock is the replacement at head coach while the team still looks for a general manager.
For two of the three games the CBJ played against the Toronto Maple Leafs the Blue Jackets struggled. The two losses did come during the some of the more depressing parts of the CBJ’s season when injuries mounted or when players were returning to form after injuries. The win came at the end of the season when the Blue Jackets took on the traits of a buzzsaw as far as their opponents were concerned.
Maple Leafs 4 @ CBJ 1 10/31/14
CBJ 2 @ Maple Leafs 5 1/9/15
Maple Leafs 0 @ CBJ 5 4/8/15
The three stars this series were players who had offensive success.
It is difficult to project how the CBJ will do against a team that is starting a full rebuild in earnest. By the beginning of next season the Maple Leafs may bring back a team that looks similar to what took the ice next year or it could be a totally different squad. At a minimum the CBJ should win two of three or three of four if they stay healthy.