The Columbus Blue Jackets fall in their first game of the week against the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Both teams play in Nationwide on Friday night.
The Columbus Blue Jackets started this game solid out of the gate with a great first period. Cam Atkinson continued his hot streak and gave the Jackets the 1-0 lead off of a great feed from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois then added his own goal for the Jackets to give them a 2-0 heading to the first intermission. Atkinson and Artemi Panarin with the helpers on Dubois goal.
Halfway through the second is where the Jackets started to fall apart. Tyler Ennis scored to cut the Jackets lead in half with helpers from Frederik Gauthier and former Jackets defenseman Ron Hainsey.
Mitch Marner then made the play of the night with a beautiful assist to big free agent splash John Tavares to tie the game. The Jackets had a defensive lapse in the second half of the second period.
In the third, both teams played even until the Jackets 4th line went out with 4 minutes to go in the game. Zach Hyman then scored the go ahead goal to give the Leafs a 3-2 lead. He would go on to add the empty netter for the Leafs to seal the victory 4-2.
The 4th line was out for two important goals against tonight and the Jackets gave 4+ goals for the first time in almost a week. While the offense continues to roll, the defense once again comes up short.
Riley Nash has been lackluster of a signing and tonight was defensively inept. Both teams rematch on the night of Black Friday. The Jackets are hoping to get a better deal at home.