MattySnipes
Registered User
Game 2 of 82
@ 
The Maple Leafs play their first road game of the 2019/20 campaign after going an impressive 23-12-6 away from home last season. Toronto knocked off the Ottawa Senators 5-3 in their season opener on Wednesday behind two goals from Auston Matthews.
This will be the season opener for the Blue Jackets, who are a much different team than the one that played in last year’s playoffs.
The Maple Leafs are expected to make a strong run at the Stanley Cup despite recent playoff failings. Not so much is expected from the Blue Jackets despite some playoff success last season.
Babcock said, "We have to get better. We all understand, we've laid it out very clearly where we've got to get better. Everybody knows what we've got to do to have success, and so we talk about it on a daily basis, and we're trying to work towards that."
The Blue Jackets, however, lost their leading scorer, Artemi Panarin, starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and trade-deadline acquisition Matt Duchene as free agents during the offseason. The remaining Blue Jackets are putting a positive spin on the defections.
"There's some really good players in our system that haven't had a chance to have the spotlight because of certain players," Columbus centre Nick Foligno said. "Sometimes you see a team really come together because of that."
The Blue Jackets plan to use 20-year-old rookie Alexandre Texier as Panarin's replacement on a line with centre Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson.
Dubois, 21, is coming off two excellent seasons (48 points, 61 points), and Atkinson tied the franchise record with 41 goals last season. Even more is expected from Atkinson.
"He's a huge piece this year to where he has to be even better," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "The conversation I had with him this summer, he kept improving ... but we are going to need more out of him. And I believe we'll get that. I think he knows there's more there."
Gustav Nyquist and Alexander Wennberg will play alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand. Foligno will skate on a line with Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson.
The fourth line will feature Riley Nash at centre with combinations of Sonny Milano, Emil Bemstrom and Jakob Lilja on the wings.
The Blue Jackets have depth on defense, led by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Joonas Korpisalo will get the start in goal for the opener.
"We've got a chip on our shoulder," Tortorella said. "It's there, and I hope it builds to a level that is always with us. That's important for us."
The Maple Leafs recalled centre Nic Petan from the Toronto Marlies on Thursday and sent defenseman Timothy Liljegren on loan to the American Hockey League team. Centre Jason Spezza is expected to make his Maple Leafs debut Friday after he was a healthy scratch Wednesday.
Maple Leafs Lineup
Kapanen - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Moore
Petan - Gauthier - Spezza
Rielly - Ceci
Muzzin - Barrie
Sandin - Holl
Andersen
Hutchinson
Scratched: Marincin, Shore, Timashov
Injured: Hyman (ACL), Dermott (shoulder)
Blue Jackets Lineup
Texier - Dubois - Atkinson
Foligno - Jenner - Anderson
Nyquist - Wennberg - Bjorkstrand
Lilja - Nash - Bemstrom
Murray - Jones
Werenski - Savard
Harrington - Nutivaara
Korpisalo
Merzlikins
Scratched: Kukan, Gavrikov, Milano
Injured: Dubinsky (wrist)
Note: First GDT ever. Finally popped my cherry. Yay!
@ The Maple Leafs play their first road game of the 2019/20 campaign after going an impressive 23-12-6 away from home last season. Toronto knocked off the Ottawa Senators 5-3 in their season opener on Wednesday behind two goals from Auston Matthews.
This will be the season opener for the Blue Jackets, who are a much different team than the one that played in last year’s playoffs.
The Maple Leafs are expected to make a strong run at the Stanley Cup despite recent playoff failings. Not so much is expected from the Blue Jackets despite some playoff success last season.
Babcock said, "We have to get better. We all understand, we've laid it out very clearly where we've got to get better. Everybody knows what we've got to do to have success, and so we talk about it on a daily basis, and we're trying to work towards that."
The Blue Jackets, however, lost their leading scorer, Artemi Panarin, starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and trade-deadline acquisition Matt Duchene as free agents during the offseason. The remaining Blue Jackets are putting a positive spin on the defections.
"There's some really good players in our system that haven't had a chance to have the spotlight because of certain players," Columbus centre Nick Foligno said. "Sometimes you see a team really come together because of that."
The Blue Jackets plan to use 20-year-old rookie Alexandre Texier as Panarin's replacement on a line with centre Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson.
Dubois, 21, is coming off two excellent seasons (48 points, 61 points), and Atkinson tied the franchise record with 41 goals last season. Even more is expected from Atkinson.
"He's a huge piece this year to where he has to be even better," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "The conversation I had with him this summer, he kept improving ... but we are going to need more out of him. And I believe we'll get that. I think he knows there's more there."
Gustav Nyquist and Alexander Wennberg will play alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand. Foligno will skate on a line with Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson.
The fourth line will feature Riley Nash at centre with combinations of Sonny Milano, Emil Bemstrom and Jakob Lilja on the wings.
The Blue Jackets have depth on defense, led by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Joonas Korpisalo will get the start in goal for the opener.
"We've got a chip on our shoulder," Tortorella said. "It's there, and I hope it builds to a level that is always with us. That's important for us."
The Maple Leafs recalled centre Nic Petan from the Toronto Marlies on Thursday and sent defenseman Timothy Liljegren on loan to the American Hockey League team. Centre Jason Spezza is expected to make his Maple Leafs debut Friday after he was a healthy scratch Wednesday.
Maple Leafs Lineup
Kapanen - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Moore
Petan - Gauthier - Spezza
Rielly - Ceci
Muzzin - Barrie
Sandin - Holl
Andersen
Hutchinson
Scratched: Marincin, Shore, Timashov
Injured: Hyman (ACL), Dermott (shoulder)
Blue Jackets Lineup
Texier - Dubois - Atkinson
Foligno - Jenner - Anderson
Nyquist - Wennberg - Bjorkstrand
Lilja - Nash - Bemstrom
Murray - Jones
Werenski - Savard
Harrington - Nutivaara
Korpisalo
Merzlikins
Scratched: Kukan, Gavrikov, Milano
Injured: Dubinsky (wrist)
Note: First GDT ever. Finally popped my cherry. Yay!
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