Blue Jackets vs Maple Leafs 8/2/20 - NHL Picks & Predictions

On Sunday, the Columbus Blue Jackets will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first game of a best of five qualifying series as the NHL restarts. Columbus was decimated by injuries prior to the NHL season being suspended but most of those players have recovered and are ready to play against the Maple Leafs on Sunday. Seth Jones, Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson all missed significant playing time because of injuries and will all be back in uniform for the Blue Jackets on Sunday.

The leading scorer for Columbus is Pierre-Luc Dubois who has scored 49 points in 70 games. In two games head-to-head during the season with the Maple Leafs the 22-year-old scored one goal. Goaltending for the Blue Jackets has been one of their strengths all season. Joonas Korpisalo is 19-12-5 in net with a goals against average of 2.60. However, he was injured and replaced by rookie Elvis Merzlikens who posted a record of 13- 9-8 with a goals-against average 2.35. 

Although this is considered a play-in series it is nonetheless a playoff series and Toronto has not won one since 2004. The Maple Leafs have plenty of offense led by Auston Matthews who scored 47 goals and accumulated 80 points in 70 games for Toronto this season. In two head-to-head battles with Columbus, Matthews scored two goals and added one assist. Mitch Marner has played well for the Maple Leafs against Columbus scoring two goals and adding two assists. On the season, Marner has 16 goals and 51 assists.

In net, Frederick Anderson will start for the Maple Leafs. The net minder was 29-13-7 with a goals-against average of 2.85 and a save percentage .909 when the season was halted in March. Although the goals-against average was somewhat high for the Maple Leafs netminder, the Toronto defense has had its problems throughout the season and the Maple Leafs have had to outscore their opponents instead of holding them scoreless or just to one or two goals per game.