The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs are tied in a 1-1 series of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The Blue Jackets won Game 1 and the Maple Leafs won Game 2. The games were played at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. Here’s a recap of both games between the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs.
1st Periods
Game 1: Both teams couldn’t find a way to score, but it was a very competitive period offensively. Players on both teams were able to find good shooting chances with some going off the crossbar or post. This is what many people expected this series to be like: an offense, scoring type series.
The game was tied at zero heading into the second period.
Game 2: Toronto came back and answered the challenge. They controlled most of the period outshooting Columbus 15-6. However, the Maple Leafs still couldn’t figure out Blue Jackets’ goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. The Blue Jackets were able to keep up with them even with having spurts of momentum.
The game was tied at zero heading into the second period.
2nd Periods
Game 1: Toronto gained the early momentum, but Columbus was playing some solid defense and Korpisalo made some key saves. In the last five minutes of the period, the Blue Jackets started to take control and got scoring chances of their own. But, they also weren’t able to score on Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen.
The game was still tied at two heading into the third period.
Game 2: Columbus was the team with the early momentum this game. But, Toronto was able to keep control of the game again for most of the period. Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews scored the Maple Leafs’ first goal of the series at the 4:00 mark of the period. The score could’ve been worse the way Toronto was playing but Korpisalo kept saving goals.
Toronto grabbed the lead for the first time this series 1-0 heading into the third period.
3rd Periods
Game 1: It didn’t take long for the ice to break as Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson scored the game’s first goal a 1:05 into the period. The Maple Leafs were able to get control in the period and create more scoring chances but they couldn’t get the puck past Korpisalo. Columbus took control of the game’s last five minutes and forward Alexander Wennberg scored the game’s second goal.
The Blue Jackets won the game 2-0 and took the series lead 1-0.
Game 2: Even though the Maple Leafs were in control for most of this game, the Blue Jackets wouldn’t back down easily. They started to gain some solid momentum until Leafs’ captain John Tavares scored the Leafs’ second goal extending the lead to two. The Blue Jackets tried to keep up but the Leafs offense was too much for them this game. Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly sealed the game by scoring an empty-net goal to extend the lead to three. However, a scary moment happened to Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin. Muzzin took an awkward fall as he took a cross-check from behind and his head collided with Blue Jackets’ defenseman Oliver Bjorkstrand’s leg. He would be stretchered out of the arena to a local hospital outside the bubble and was able to move all of his extremities.
The Maple Leafs won the game 3-0 and tied the series one game apiece.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNOSpRaGPBM]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3tW1OOVYo]
Overall, this series is an interesting one in that both teams look to strike offensively however way they can. The key factor of this series is who wins the goaltending battle between both teams.
Three Stars of the Game
Game 1:
Third Star: Frederik Andersen (33 saves)
Second Star: Cam Atkinson (1 goal, 1 assist)
First Star: Joonas Korpisalo (28 saves)
Game 2:
Third Star: John Tavares (1 goal)
Second Star: Zach Hyman (1 assist)
First Star: Auston Matthews (1 goal, 1 assist)
Game 3 of the Blue Jackets-Maple Leafs series is on Aug. 6 at 8:00 pm EST.