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Fantilli's first NHL hat trick tops Columbus Blue Jackets' key win in Toronto: 4 takeaways
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- Fantilli's first NHL hat trick tops Columbus Blue Jackets' key win in Toronto: 4 takeaways
The Blue Jackets couldn't afford a third straight loss.
After dropping the first two games of a road trip to the New York teams on Saturday and Monday , they headed into a challenging set of back-to-back games to close the trip Wednesday at the Toronto Maple Leafs and Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes .
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More: Merzlikins, Fantilli, Del Bel Belluz push Columbus Blue Jackets past Toronto Maple Leafs
Fighting to keep pace in a tight midseason chase for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, the upstart Blue Jackets couldn't afford a loss to the Atlantic Division's top team. So, they won 5-1 at Scotiabank Arena to move back into the first of two wild-card spots despite being outshot 30-19 in the game.
Elvis Merzlikins made 29 saves, Adam Fantilli netted his first NHL hat trick and rookie center Luca Del Bel Belluz added a goal and assist to key an impressive performance against a team that's loaded with offensive weapons.
Here are four takeaways:
Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins stops a shot from Maple Leafs right wing Ryan Reaves.
Elvis Merzlikins capped an odd day with a brilliant goaltending performance for Columbus Blue Jackets
Wednesday will be a day that Merzlikins should remember a long time, and not just for getting his fourth straight win over the Maple Leafs and third straight in Toronto.
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He'll also remember being injured on a shot during the morning skate that forced him to leave early, deciding to play through it rather than sitting out and then holding the high-powered Maple Leafs to just one goal on 30 shots.
Merzlikins will also remember picking up an odd penalty for holding a stick when he snatched a stick right out of Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews ' hands in the first period and started using it instead of his own stick. Matthews, befuddled by having the opposing goalie swipe his stick, briefly picked up Merzlikins' stick and appeared to look for a pass before dropping it and skating away.
Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins battle Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander for the puck.
Officials saw both things and called Merzlikins and Matthews for minor penalties – the former for holding Matthews' stick and the latter for using a goaltender's stick as a skater, which is against the rules. Merzlikins helped the Blue Jackets get through the ensuing 4-on-4 with some impressive stops that he followed with similar brilliance the rest of the game.
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Since dropping four of five outings from Dec. 3-15, Merzlikins is 8-2-1 in his past 11 starts with a 2.78 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.
Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli recorded his first NHL hat trick Wednesday against the Maple Leafs.
Adam Fantilli gets first NHL hat trick, shaving cream 'pie' and lasting memory in front of many family/friends
Fantilli's father, Giuliano, is a lifelong Boston Bruins fan, so he also grew up a Bruins fan while growing up in the Toronto-area town of Nobleton, Ontario. Fantilli's youth was spent cheering against the Maple Leafs, who are one of the Bruins' longest tenured "original six" rivals.
Now, he's all Blue Jackets and hasn't lost the zeal for playing his best against the Maple Leafs. That's particularly true in Toronto, where Fantilli still has a lot of family and friends. According to FanDuel Sports Network, Fantilli netted his first NHL hat trick in front of 75 friends and family who attended. He also received his second career shaving cream 'pie' in the face from forward Mathieu Olivier during a postgame TV interview.
A member of the Maple Leafs ice crew clears hats from the ice after Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli scored his third goal of the evening.
Fantilli's first goal was also his first short-handed tally in the NHL, putting the Blue Jackets up, 1-0, late in the first period. His second goal made it 3-0 in the second despite the Maple Leafs finishing that period with double the shots in the game (24-12). Fantilli clinched the hat trick by making it 5-1 with 7:58 left in the third, scoring into an empty net after Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube surprisingly pulled goalie Dennis Hildeby early for an extra skater during 4-on-4.
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Fantilli's parents celebrated with loud cheers as soon as the puck hit the back of the net, and his mom, Julia, fittingly tossed a hat tossed to the ice.
Blue Jackets center Luca Del Bel Belluz (middle) celebrates a goal against the Maple Leafs. Del Bel Belluz grew up in nearby Woodbridge, Ontario.
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Luca Del Bel Belluz has memorable first visit to Toronto as NHL player
Not to be outdone in Toronto homecomings, Luca Del Bel Belluz had his own memorable night in his first career game against the Maple Leafs.
Unlike Fantilli, Del Bel Belluz was a Maple Leafs fan growing up in the nearby town of Woodbridge, Ontario. He cheered for James van Riemsdyk as a Maple Leafs power forward, so centering a line Wednesday with the veteran as his left winger created a special memory before the game even started.
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Assisting on Van Riemsdyk's goal to make it 2-0 in the second and scoring one for himself to make it 4-0 in the third was the proverbial icing on the cake for Del Bel Belluz – who, according to FanDuel Sports Network, had 50 family and friends in the arena.
Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier (24) fights Maple Leafs right wing Ryan Reaves.
Columbus Blue Jackets' Mathieu Olivier squared off in heavyweight tilt against Toronto Maple Leafs ' Ryan Reaves
Early in the game, two heavyweight enforcers did their thing off a faceoff. Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier and Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves removed their gloves, sized each other up, went for their initial jersey grabs and started throwing haymakers at each other in a fight reminiscent of scraps from years ago.
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Each combatant landed and absorbed at least a couple hard right hands to their face before they opted to end it with the building buzzing over their bout. The two spoke across the glass in the penalty box, and it appeared to be lighthearted banter.
The fight was Reaves' first of the season. As one of the NHL's most fearsome fighters, he's had a difficult time finding takers. Olivier hasn't had quite the same issue, yet, but his success against some of the league's toughest enforcers has gotten his name out this season. Olivier has also earned a bigger role in the Blue Jackets' lineup this season, skating at right wing on the third line. He played 13:48 that including 1:26 killing penalties and picked up a short-handed assist on Fantilli's first goal.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Fantilli's first NHL hat trick tops Blue Jackets over Maple Leafs
