Maple Leafs Visit Columbus as Jack Roslovic Faces His Hometown Crowd

Toronto’s visit to Columbus puts Jack Roslovic in front of his hometown crowd, with both teams looking for a steadier offensive game. The Maple Leafs come in after a 3-1 regulation win over San Jose; the Blue Jackets are trying to respond after a 2-1 loss in Minnesota. Toronto has the stronger record, but its own five-on-five attack has been short of what its roster should produce.

Columbus needs more than a defensive boost

The Blue Jackets are 3-4-0, with a .429 points percentage, after losing their most recent game on the road to Minnesota on October 18. Their early results point to a broader problem: Columbus has struggled to create offence and has been below average across the board, with the power play also a particular concern.

That makes this matchup a test of whether the Jackets can turn chances into goals. They have scored well below their expected output so far, and their five-on-five play has been near the bottom of the league. Toronto has had its own difficulties at five-on-five, but it has shown more capacity to generate offence. Columbus needs a more consistent attack if it wants to make that difference matter.

Adam Fantilli’s place in the lineup is one of the storylines to watch. He entered the season after negotiating a major contract and now has Matthew Knies on his wing, following the summer change that sent Kirill Marchenko out of Columbus. The early returns for Fantilli and the team haven’t met expectations. The preview’s read is that Fantilli may be feeling the loss of Marchenko’s skill alongside him; Charlie Coyle, meanwhile, has looked like Columbus’s most effective centre so far.

Knies has continued to bring his game, and his early shooting results have been described as fortunate. He’s not primarily an offence creator, though, so Columbus will need more from its other forwards to help turn possession into sustained scoring pressure. The club has also been without Ivan Provorov. His absence may affect the team, but his return alone would not solve the Jackets’ difficulty generating offence.

Projected Columbus lineup

The combinations below were reported by Mark Scheig via Daily Faceoff:

Matthew Knies - Adam Fantilli - Kent Johnson
Dmitri Voronkov - Sean Monahan - Valeri Nichushkin
Cole Sillinger - Charlie Coyle - Mathieu Olivier
Ryan Lomberg - Luca Del Bel Belluz - Conor Garland

Zach Werenski - Damon Severson
Jake Christiansen - Denton Mateychuk
Emil Andrae - Erik Gudbranson

Jet Greaves is listed as the starter, with Cam Talbot as the other goaltender.

Toronto wants its attack to catch up

The Leafs are 4-4-2, a .500 points percentage, after beating San Jose 3-1 in regulation at home on October 19. The result gives them a positive lead-in, but there’s still a clear issue to address: Toronto’s offence has been too quiet for the talent it has available, especially at five-on-five.

The special teams picture is more encouraging. Toronto’s power play has been very good and has recently trended in the right direction. The penalty kill remains a question, with strong goaltending complicating the read on its performance, but it has looked better lately. The shot numbers from the Leafs’ past two games, both of which featured substantial penalty-kill time, were among their best of the season. That’s a useful sign, though the team still needs its five-on-five game to hold up.

The reported Toronto combinations are from the team’s October 19 game, via Daily Faceoff:

Easton Cowan - Auston Matthews - Jack Roslovic
Kirill Marchenko - Nick Paul - William Nylander
Gavin McKenna - Colton Sissons - Vinni Lettieri
Brandon Duhaime - Teddy Blueger - Zack MacEwen

Jake McCabe - Darren Raddysh
Morgan Rielly - Troy Stecher
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Nick Blankenburg

Anthony Stolarz is listed as the starter, with Artur Akhtyamov as the other goaltender.

What to watch

Toronto has a chance to build on its win, but it can’t rely on special teams alone to carry the attack. Columbus, meanwhile, needs cleaner execution and more production from its forwards to make the matchup competitive. Roslovic’s return to his hometown adds a personal note; the sharper measure of the night will be whether the Leafs connect on their passes and whether the Blue Jackets can generate enough offence to keep pace.