Columbus Blue Jackets take season series from Toronto Maple Leafs with OT win: 6 takeaways
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Columbus Blue Jackets take season series from Toronto Maple Leafs with OT win: 6 takeaways
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) celebrates with Adam Fantilli (11) after he made the game tying goal making it 5-5 going into overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period of their game on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch·The Columbus Dispatch
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11 min read
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A wild night at Nationwide Arena ended with theBlue Jacketsenjoying their second 6-5 overtime victory of the season over theToronto Maple Leafs.
This one was considerably more pleasant for them than the first, which happened Dec. 14 in Toronto after theMaple Leafs overcame a 5-0 deficit in the third periodto force OT at Scotiabank Arena. This time, the Blue Jackets overcame Toronto's lead on a goal byrookie Adam Fantilliin the third to force overtime and won 2:56 into it on a goal byJohnny Gaudreau.
The victory gave the Blue Jackets (12-18-7) the edge in the three-game season series with two OT wins in a series that was played over two weeks.
"It's huge,"Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbransonsaid. "The way the season's going right now, you sort of highlight that one and don't forget about it. We've had a few of those. I mean, I can go back to the Calgary/Minnesota back-to-back (wins) that we had, and you highlight those. You remember that's how it's done. … That's a very good hockey team, with a lot of skill, and it's good to come out with two points."
Aside from Fantilli's tying goal with 6:14 left in regulation, the Blue Jackets received goals fromCole Sillinger,Brendan Gaunce, rookieDmitri VoronkovandKent Johnson― all in the first two periods.Elvis Merzlikinsstarted in net for Columbus, allowing two goals on 14 shots before leaving due to illness prior to the start of the second.Spencer Martintook over and earned the win with three saves on 19 shots.
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (11) passes a stick to a fan after their win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena 6-5.
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (11) celebrates after his game tying goal during the third period of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs sending it into overtime on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus Blue Jackets rookieAdam Fantillitakes another step with dominant performance, clutch tying goal
This was just 37thgame of Fantilli's NHL career, but it looked like he was a polished veteran most of the game.
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The 19-year old rookie,drafted third overall in the NHL draft last June, finished with his goal, two shots, four attempts, three hits, two blocked shots and wins on 6 of 11 faceoffs (55%). He also got under the skin of multiple Maple Leafs players to draw reactions from them, continuing what appears to be a rapid ascent to join the league's elite players in the future.
How far into the future it's going to take is what's left to determine, as Fantilli grows by leaps and bounds.
Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli shoots the puck against Toronto center David Kampf on Dec. 29.
His goal was the latest proof. It knotted the game, 5-5, after the Blue Jackets had unsuccessfully pushed for the equalizer in the period's first 13-plus minutes. The skill he displayed in scoring it was remarkable.
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After getting a pass from Gaudreau in his own end, Fantilli carved through the neutral zone, bolted up the left wing in the Toronto zone and fired a wrist shot into the net by shooting the puck between the legs of defensemanJake McCabeand under Samsonov's catching glove on the far side.
As Fantilli launched into his goal celebration, pretending to turn his stick into a bow after grabbing an arrow from a "quiver" on his back, Blue Jackets fans erupted inside a sold out building nearly half filled with Maple Leafs supporters.
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (11) after his game tying goal during the third period of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
It was a moment Fantilli, his teammates and fans should remember for a long time, a signature memory at the start of what may become an NHL career filled with them.
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"Tonight, he was really good … like really good," Gudbranson said. "It's a hard league. I played in it at a young age, and it's very difficult to do it. You could tell he had some jam. He had some swagger to him, and he carried the puck very well through the neutral zone."
How well?
"When he's humming and he's going, he's a scalpel through the neutral zone and he can challenge you pretty quickly," Gudbranson said. "He'll make you feel uneasy. So, we need him to continue doing that. He did a great job for us tonight. He took the bull by the horns and stepped up to the plate."
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets celebrate their 6-5 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs finish competitive season series with exciting finish
The Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs must wait until next season to play each other again, which is unfortunate because they usually play games that are highly entertaining.
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This was another one, from the high goal total to a chippy tenor that sparked a fight late in the second between Gudbranson andSimon Benoit. The Jackets don't have the record to match up with the Maple Leafs on paper, but they have enough offensive firepower to stay with them on the ice.
This game was a perfect example, right down to the split crowd that created a few surreal moments when loud chants supporting both teams battled for the victory in decibel levels.
"I think there's a good rivalry there building up," Vincent said. "I mean, the game in Toronto, they came back in the game, we won it. The (second) game, from our perspective, we had more scoring chances than they did. You can feel it on the ice. They're starting to dislike each other a little bit more than usual. So, I think it's a good thing. It creates a little bit of that playoff mindset, so we enjoy that."
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson (44) fights with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit (2) during the second period of their game on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
That dislike became even more apparent in the second period of this game, when Fantilli started trading barbs while standing up to Maple Leafs players. If it was an effort to get under the Leafs' collective skin, it worked like a charm. He got into post-whistle skirmishes with Benoit, which sparked the Gudbranson fight, and then with former Blue Jackets forwardMax Domi.
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It felt a little bit like a playoff atmosphere, which is exactly what the Blue Jackets wanted to create.
"We welcome that kind of challenge, especially against a very good team like the Maple Leafs," Vincent said. "We're being challenged offensively, defensively, but also in our mindset. Those games are really good to grow and evaluate where we are. We're more than welcome to play the Leafs again."
Too bad that won't happen again until next year.
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Brendan Gaunce (16) makes his way down the rink against Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) during the third period of their game on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus Blue Jackets using lessons learned from last season's injury plague to stay competitive
If the Blue Jackets learned anything from theirridiculous number of injuries last season, it's that things can always get worse. They've also learned it's possible to stay competitive despite losing a few top players, which is their situation yet again.
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Justin Danforth (17) makes his way down the rink against Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) during the third period of their game on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
That's a lot of holes to plug, especially with Jenner, Werenski and Kuraly. Those three wear letters on their jerseys, starting with the 'C' on Jenner's chest. Without them, the Jackets had three alternate captain's 'As' against Toronto with Gudbranson, Gaudreau andJustin Danforth.
"We're not in a good position, as far as losing those guys, but last year was just unreal," Vincent said. "I've never seen anything like that. It was one after the other. What I've learned is that a team still can compete regardless. It's not about the talent. It's about the compete level, especially when we're in that position."
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Justin Danforth (17) fights against Toronto Maple Leafs defender for the puck during the third period of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Surviving those kinds of losses, as the Jackets learned, depends on staying disciplined within their strategies and not harping on who's missing.
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"I believe the structure of your team can save or win some games when you're facing that kind of adversity," Vincent said. "Quite frankly, we don't even talk about it. We don't talk about, 'Who's in, Who's out?' with the players. We have enough (healthy) to play a game and with a mindset of winning. That's the only way to do it."
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Jack Roslovic (96) attempts to shoot the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit (2) during the third period of their game on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Jack Roslovic makes return to lineup for Columbus Blue Jackets, makes impact in third period
Roslovic missed six weeks and 21 games after having a bone in his left ankle fractured blocking a shot Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in a4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.
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Roslovic was injured in the first period and still finished the game, including an overtime shift. At the time, he'd become an effective top-six threat while skating at right wing on the top line with Jenner and Gaudreau. Against Toronto, Roslovic played right wing on the fourth line withAlexandre Texierand Brendan Gaunce — who filled Kuraly's role for the second straight game. Not getting the Jackets' usual ramp up for returning players prompted Vincent to take a measured approach to Roslovic's usage.
"We're going to start him slow," Vincent said. "Because of our schedule (during) the Christmas break and our inability to skate our players, he didn't skate as much as I would like him to before coming back and playing a game. Usually, we would 'skate' (returning) guys and they would have to go through the 'coach's test,' and survive that test, to come back in. But I don't worry about his conditioning. His conditioning is off the chart."
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Jack Roslovic (96) reaches for the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf (64) during the first period of their game on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Vincent's hesitancy was mostly about letting Roslovic steadily regain his timing, but one area his return helped right away was penalty killing. Roslovic's speed and slick skating can create havoc while he's killing penalties, including a key moment early in the third. He drew a tripping penalty on Marner that ended a Toronto power play halfway through the two minutes.
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"There's no filling those (Jenner and Kuraly) voids with one guy," Roslovic said. "The struggles we've had, you don't try to come back and fix it all. You come back and just try to play your game and hopefully it all kind of figures itself out."
Dec 23, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson (78) looks for an open pass around Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) during the first period of their game on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus Blue Jackets using rotation of righties to address left-handed dilemma withoutZach Werenski
Werenski's absence creates more than just the issue of replacing his skills in all three zones.
It also creates a huge void at the left point along the blue line, where Werenski averages 24:04 per game as one of only three left-handed shooters on the Jackets' NHL roster.Damon Severson, one of four righties, flipped to the left point to start out against the Maple Leafs, but it was a shared responsibility by design.
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"We're going to play with that," Vincent said. "So, the lineup … you'll see pairings, but we're going to play with that. Severson is one guy that can play on the left side."
Asked if Severson is comfortable playing on his 'off' side, Vincent had to qualify his reply.
"He's done it in the past," Vincent said. "He's more comfortable on the right side."
That's typically the case for most defensemen because it's easier to send and receive passes along the blue line while playing on their strong sides with a forehanded catch and release.
Dec 29, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (11) celebrates after his game tying goal during the third period of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs sending it into overtime on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 at Nationwide Arena.
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe foresees bright future for developing Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets went into the game last in the Metropolitan Division, 15thof 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 28thof 32 teams in the league.
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The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, exist in a totally different stratosphere as a Stanley Cup contender with a core group of established stars. That doesn't mean the Jackets haven't begun to open eyes, including those belonging to Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe.
Prior to the victory Friday, the Blue Jackets built a 5-0 lead against his team Dec. 14 in Toronto during a 6-5 overtime win for Columbus at Scotiabank Arena. They also built a pile of unsuccessful scoring chances in the second game of the series, a 4-1 victory for the Maple Leafs last week at Nationwide Arena.
Keefe is impressed.
"I see a team that has a ton of skill and speed, the ability to move the puck and make plays and score," he said. "I think they're growing, in terms of their habits and structure and experience. They're getting more experienced in the league, but I think there's a lot of young players and a lot of skill there for their team and organization and fans to be excited about."
