The Toronto Maple Leafs started this week’s back-to-back games by dominating the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. It was a performance for the ages, in front of the entire hockey world. Tuesday in Columbus? It was a completely different story.
The Blue Jackets took advantage from start to finish, blowing out the Maple Leafs 6-2. How bad was it? So bad, it could potentially be the worst of all 82 games we witness this season. Head coach Craig Berube certainly hopes it doesn’t get any worse than tonight’s performance.
yeah, that’s the mood pic.twitter.com/FCqXIND0l7
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) October 23, 2024
Making his second NHL start, rookie netminder Dennis Hildeby had a rough night, especially early on. Hildeby let in three goals on 15 shots in the first period, and ended the night making 32 saves on 38 shots.
In front of Hildeby, the Maple Leafs laid a rotten egg in the first period. Any thing that could go wrong, seemed to. From pucks bouncing over sticks in high-danger areas, to Nick Robertson having his stick knocked out of his hand on an emerging two-on-one, to costly turnovers and defensive lapses ending up in the back of the net, the first period was one to forget.
In the opening few minutes, John Tavares tipped a pass in front of the crease into his own shin pads, it ended up bouncing wide. What could have easily been 1-0 early on for the Maple Leafs, turned into their worst period of the young season.
The Blue Jackets opened the scoring shortly after Tavares’ miss, as James van Riemsdyk haunted his former club, potting home his second of the season. It was strange to see van Riemsdyk in a Blue Jackets’ jersey.
OPE, ‘SCUSE ME! 🤭
JVR gets our first of the #FrozenFrenzy!@FanaticsBook | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/8oO0UtRNJz
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 22, 2024
The Blue Jackets weren’t done there, as Justin Danforth scored under a minute later, thanks in large part to a turnover from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. OEL has been lights out to start his Maple Leafs’ tenure, not only with his puck-moving abilities, but also, he’s brought way more jam to his game than many expected. This play however, not what anyone has in mind.
That’s why they call him Dancin’ Danny!
…. They don’t. But they could. @FanaticsBook | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/uxTogSHsSO
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 23, 2024
The Blue Jackets ended the first up 3-0, and oh, to be a fly on the wall of the Maple Leafs’ dressing room in the first intermission. There was nothing to like about the opening 20 minutes. Berube is using the motto ‘No Grit. No Grind. No Greatness’ this season. Berube didn’t see any of this against the Blue Jackets.
The second period was much of the same. After the top line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies had a couple of good scoring chances five minutes in, the Blue Jackets countered immediately, with Brampton native Sean Monahan making no mistake on a juicy rebound in front, to make it 4-0.
There’s no need to get too down about Hildeby’s performance, the Leafs love what they’ve seen from the 22-year-old, and the future looks bright for the 6-foot-7 ‘Hildebeast’.
Knies finally got the Leafs on the board in the dying minutes of the second period. It was a nice individual effort from Knies, to retrieve the puck, work his way out into the slot, and wrist home his third of the season. The power forward was arguably the Leafs best player on Tuesday night, but that’s not saying much.
Matthew Knies finally puts the Leafs on the board 🚨 pic.twitter.com/kVEuk1roa0
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) October 23, 2024
The third period was a slow burn. Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko sniped one over Hildeby’s glove just over halfway into the frame, to make it 6-1. Nick Robertson scored his first goal of the season shortly after, to get the Leafs within four. Too little, way too late.
Questions, Comments, Concerns
- The Maple Leafs had $5.4 million in the press box on Tuesday night, with David Kampf and Timothy Liljegren both healthy scratched. Certainly an interesting tidbit, considering both players were extended to multi-year contracts by GM Brad Treliving within the last 16 months.
- With Kampf scratched, the spotlight was on Pontus Holmberg to show what he could do centering the fourth line, and he had his worst game of the season.
- How many goals would Hildeby had to have let in for Anthony Stolarz to come into the game?
- It’s interesting to watch Morgan Rielly blend into the game more playing with Chris Tanev. It’s not a bad thing, it’s actually a very good thing. Tanev leads the NHL in blocked shots at the time of this filing.
- Will Knies score 30 goals? He could be in line for a new contract at this rate.
- Hildeby could head to the AHL on Wednesday, to a very crowded Toronto Marlies’ crease. Joseph Woll is very close to returning to game action, and could potentially start as soon as Thursday against the Blues. Woll is a native of Dardenne Prairie, MO, just 40 minutes outside of St. Louis.
