Toskala’s 26 saves too much for Blue Jackets
Toronto handed Columbus a 3-1 setback on Tuesday.
TORONTO (AP) — Vesa Toskala made 26 saves while starting for the 17th time in 18 games as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Carlo Colaiacovo, Nik Antropov and Chad Kilger scored for Toronto, which beat a team on the edge of the playoff picture for a second straight game.
Nikolai Zherdev had the only goal for the Blue Jackets.
Colaiacovo opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 5:41 of the first period. The defenseman beat screened Blue Jackets goalie Pascal Leclaire with a low point shot.
Antropov extended that lead to 2-0 just 6 seconds after Ron Hainsey had been sent off for holding. Antropov was planted at the side of the goal when he knocked the puck out of the air and flipped it into an empty net at 15:13.
The Blue Jackets rebounded quickly as Zherdev beat Toskala with a quick shot after taking a pass from Michael Peca at 15:43.
Kilger restored the two-goal advantage before the end of the first period. After a broken rush, he spun and fired a shot under Leclaire’s left leg at 16:57.
Toronto carried the 3-1 lead into the second period but gave Columbus a chance to get back into the game. The Blue Jackets have relied on their power play and had three man-advantage situations, but Toskala was solid and the Leafs penalty killers kept them from getting closer.
Notes
Toronto has allowed a league-worst 106 goals against at home. ... It was just the fifth regular-season meeting between the teams. ... The Blue Jackets only have three players with more than 10 goals: Rick Nash (31), Zherdev (24) and Jason Chimera (11). ... Maple Leafs enforcer Wade Belak was a healthy scratch for the fifth straight game.