Final
Blue Jackets slip by Maple Leafs
Mar 4, 2014 - 6:16 AM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Dalton Prout and Artem Anisimov scored in the second period and Columbus claimed a 2-1 victory over Toronto at Air Canada Centre.Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots for the Blue Jackets, who have won two of three since the NHL resumed play following the Olympics.
"We changed some things in the neutral zone to generate some speed and get the forecheck going," said Columbus head coach Todd Richards. "I think we started to wear them down late in the game."
James Reimer came up with 31 saves in defeat and Mason Raymond provided the lone score for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped all three games since the resumption of play last week.
"I thought we played a really good game tonight," said Reimer. "I was a little rusty at first, but after those first shots came at me I felt like I battled as hard as I could."
Toronto kept the pressure on despite failing to score in the first 40 minutes. Tyler Bozak pushed his backhander wide just prior to the 5 1/2-minute mark of the third, but Raymond was good on a one-timer from the right wing with 4:15 remaining to pull the hosts to 2-1.
Reimer went to the bench for an extra skater inside of 90 seconds remaining, but the hosts had nothing left in the tank.
In a scoreless first period, the best chance for either side occurred on a Leafs power play. James van Riemsdyk poked the puck through Bobrovsky's pads from the right side, but the disc stopped just short of the goal line before being flipped out of harm.
Columbus got on the board just before the midway point of regulation on Prout's blast from the right circle.
It was 2-0 at 12:38 of the second period, as Anisimov whipped a Nikita Nikitin pass home from the right side. Nathan Horton missed an easy chance to make it a three-goal margin on a breakaway inside of two minutes left when he shot wide.
Game Notes
Columbus swept all three meetings from Toronto this season ... Prout's goal was his second career tally and first since Apr. 18, 2013 against Los Angeles ... Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray left the game at the end of the first period and didn't return due to a lower-body injury.
- COLUMBUS: 2
TORONTO: 1
Final
Mar 3 9:40 PM - COLUMBUS: 2
TORONTO: 0
End of 2nd
Mar 3 8:37 PM - Columbus Goal - Dalton Prout, from Derek MacKenzie at 9:44.
Blue Jackets 1, Maple Leafs 0 2nd - 10:16Mar 3 8:18 PM - COLUMBUS: 0
TORONTO: 0
End of 1st
Mar 3 7:43 PM - COLUMBUS: 0
TORONTO: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Mar 3 7:04 PM
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