Final Score: Maple Leafs 6 – Blue Jackets 3

Game Summary

The Blue Jackets on the second half of a back to back somehow managed to play one of the best games any team has played this season. The Jackets put 57 shots on net, the second highest total by a team this season. At 5 on 5 they had a 68% Corsi, including 85 shot attempts the most by a team this season. When you see a team take that many shots, you assume they were just firing from everywhere and not getting the best quality chances. While that was true to an extent the Jackets had plenty of grade A scoring chances.

Columbus out chanced the Leafs 43-22 and 17-8 at high danger. The Jackets were getting high quality chances and Leafs goalie Frederik Anderson stole this game. It’s not often you allow three goals and still have an incredible night in net, but that’s what Anderson did. He stopped 54 of 57 shots for a .947 save percentage. He was the difference.

At the other end Joonas Korpisalo wasn’t as spectacular. He looked shaky on the first two Leafs goals and it put the Jackets behind the eight ball early. Korpisalo played well last time out against the Leafs so it made sense on the back to back to give him this start. It unfortunately just didn’t work out.

The Jackets goal scoring woes continued, that many shots should get you more than three goals, one player not having any problems scoring was the Captain Nick Foligno. Foligno scored two of the three Jackets goals.

Foligno is silky smooth on this play but Wennberg did well finding him in the slot.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/zxnhZ6Y3qh

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 15, 2018

These two are feeling it right now. Wennberg fights through the check and makes a mini 2-on-1. Foligno just has to put it in the back of the open net. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/cL1KAYzI5W

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 15, 2018

Foligno’s been playing really well since he was benched on February 2nd against the Sharks. In six games since he has four goals and an assist. I still think he's getting too much ice time, he’s consistently plays over 16 minutes a night but it’s hard to argue when he's producing.

Another player who was producing in this game was Alexander Wennberg. He set up both of those Foligno goals with wonderful passes. The first one is just some really nice vision. Foligno finds the soft spot right in tight no one picks him up; Wennberg sees him and gets the pass to him. The second one for the highlight reels. Wennberg absolutely walks Travis Dermott at the blue line and right as the other defencemen slides over Wennberg slips the pass to Foligno who has a wide open net.

The third Jackets goal was scored by Jack Johnson, in what was maybe a cameo game? There are some rumours that the Leafs have been looking at Jack Johnson and if that’s case he put on a pretty good show for them Wednesday night.

A screen in front leads to this Jack Johnson slap shot sneaking through. What a shot.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/ZhGKi1XwLY

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) February 15, 2018

He scored that goal, had four shots, at 5 on 5 had 69.23% Corsi which was positive relative to the team. Overall just a really strong game from the defencemen.

Stat of the Night

Since 1955-56 when SOG became an official NHL statistic, @BlueJacketsNHL became the second team to register at least 50 SOGS in three consecutive games. The other: CHI from Oct. 9-16, 1955 against the Maple Leafs (51 SOG), Red Wings (54 SOG) and Canadiens (51 SOG). #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/P4pCgFEYzL

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 15, 2018

Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.

You can follow me on Twitter @PaulBerthelot

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