Toronto beat Columbus 6-2 as MacEwen fights to defend Blueger
In an NHL regular-season game, the Toronto Maple Leafs won 6-2 away to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Auston Matthews reached 800 career points in his 700th NHL game, while Zack MacEwen fought to protect Latvian forward Teodors Blueger.
In a National Hockey League (NHL) regular-season game, the top North American ice hockey league, the Toronto Maple Leafs won 6-2 on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets (USA). Latvian forward Teodors Blueger plays for the Canadian club. Toronto claimed its second straight victory, while Columbus suffered its fourth defeat in its last five games.
Fight over Blueger
Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson hit Blueger roughly from behind. Toronto forward Zack MacEwen immediately came to the Latvian's defense and got into a fight with Gudbranson.
Blueger spent 16 minutes and three seconds on the ice, including 5 minutes and 40 seconds short-handed, the most among the team's forwards. He took no shots on goal, blocked one shot, made one hit and had one takeaway, but gave the puck away twice. He won five of ten faceoffs, and his plus-minus was -2. He was on the ice for two goals against Toronto.
How the game unfolded
Jake Christiansen put the hosts ahead in the third minute of the first period, and Kirill Marchenko equalized on the power play. In the second period the visitors scored four unanswered goals: William Nylander and Auston Matthews scored 46 seconds apart, Easton Cowan made it 4-1 while short-handed, and Jack Roslovic got the fifth goal in the 13th minute. Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves was then replaced by Cam Talbot. Early in the third period Charlie Coyle scored for the hosts, and with 3 minutes 2 seconds left in regulation Marshall Rifai set the final score. Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz stopped 35 of 37 shots.
Matthews' milestone
In his 700th NHL game, Matthews scored a goal and added an assist to reach 800 career points. That is the fastest in Toronto history; the previous holder, Darryl Sittler, needed 742 games. Among American-born players, only Bret Hull and Pat LaFontaine have done it faster.
Rifai scored his first NHL goal at age 28 years and 218 days, becoming the third-oldest defenseman in Maple Leafs history to open his scoring account.
