The Columbus Blue Jackets are riding a wave of momentum after securing their second consecutive victory in extra time [1]. They face the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday, October 29th at 7:30 p.m. ET [4].
Key Players and Goaltending Matchup
The Blue Jackets' recent success can be attributed, in part, to the return of forward Miles Wood [1]. First-year Blue Jacket, Dmitri Voronkov, will be a key player to watch [4]. While Toronto's goaltending has struggled, Columbus boasts two strong goaltenders [2]. Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves provide a solid foundation in net [2].
Blue Jackets' Home Record and Special Teams
Despite their recent wins, the Blue Jackets have a 1-3-0 record at home [2]. Both Columbus and Toronto have struggled on special teams, making 5v5 play crucial [2]. The Blue Jackets may have an edge in this area [2]. However, underlying metrics suggest that Columbus may experience negative regression, while Toronto could see positive regression [2]. The game promises to be a tightly contested matchup [4].
TL;DR
- Miles Wood's return has sparked the Columbus Blue Jackets to two straight overtime wins [1].
- The Blue Jackets face the Toronto Maple Leafs at home on Wednesday night [4].
- Columbus' strong goaltending could be a key factor against Toronto's struggling netminders [2].
- Despite recent success, analytics suggest potential regression for Columbus and improvement for Toronto [2].