LGP 54: Back Against the Blue Jackets

After a solid defensive effort and a 3-0 win against the Blue Jackets in Columbus last night, the Leafs are home and taking on the Blue Jackets once again. While Columbus hasn’t had a good season, the Leafs played a solid game for the 60 minutes leading to a win. It was nice to see everyone contribute, and I expect the same effort tonight, even if they are a little tired, as they’re against the same team they played last night.

Leafs Projected Lineup

Blue Jackets Projected Lineup

Forwards

Gaudreau – Jenner – Laine

Marchenko – Sillinger – Johnson

Foudy – Roslovic – Bemstrom

Robinson – Kuraly – Olivier

Defense

Gavrikov – Peeke

Berni – Gudbranson

Bayreuther – Boqvist

Goalies

Merzlikins

Korpisalo

Three Things to Look Out For

Woll

Woll will make his 2022-2023 NHL debut as Murray is still sidelined with an ankle injury. Woll spent months injured last season after a collision in March and some setbacks along the way, including another ankle injury. He found himself out for eight months, and there was concern that he would have a major setback in his development from that, but the opposite has been the case. In 2021-2022 he held a record of 6-7-0 with a 3.36 GAA and a save percentage of .907. That isn’t too bad for a developing goalie, although having a GAA that high with a save percentage above .900 shows how poorly the Marlies played last season. This season he holds a record of 13-1-0 and boasts a 2.36 GAA with a save percentage of .930. Woll has caught the eyes of many with consistent improvement every year and now looks like a promising prospect. Woll finally gets his chance tonight, and it’s his first game on home ice. Look for a solid effort from Woll tonight.

Nylander

Last night was probably the best Nylander has played without getting a point, as he dominated and had many high-danger chances playing majorly without Tavares or Marner. Nylander has proven that he can help drive a line; last night was further proof of that. While I would like to see Nylander get some playing time with Tavares, he has shown that his hard work during the break helped. Keep an eye on him tonight as he looks to continue his strong play in hopes of landing on the scoresheet.

Rielly

I need to give credit where credit is due, and Rielly deserves some credit. Coming back from injury, he didn’t look too great, and that partly wasn’t his fault as he was paired with a different partner almost every game. Now with Brodie back, Rielly’s game has started to stabilize, and last night was his best game since coming back. He also contributed defensively and added a slick assist, among other dangerous chances. Here’s to hoping he can continue riding the momentum from last night’s win.

The game begins tonight at 7:00 pm EST and can be watched on Sportsnet or CBC.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow me on Twitter @nathan_bondy.

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