3 Keys: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets, Game 4 of Cup Qualifiers

Columbus to start Merzlikins in bid to advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs, eliminate Toronto

By Sean Farrell

NHL.com Independent Correspondent

August 07, 2020

No. 8 Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Blue Jackets

8 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, TVAS, FS-O

Columbus leads best-of-5 series, 2-1

The Columbus Blue Jackets can advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Friday.

Goalie Elvis Merzlikins will start for Columbus after making his NHL playoff debut in relief of Joonas Korpisalo in a 4-3 overtime win in Game 3 on Thursday in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city. Merzlikins made 21 saves over the final 49:35 and center Pierre-Luc Dubois completed the Blue Jackets' first postseason hat trick in a game Columbus was down three goals midway through the second period.

"It was unfortunate to have to have [Korpisalo] pulled because of the way that we were playing in front of him, Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said, "but knowing that [Merzlikins] was going to step in and shut the door, I mean, we just feel so good when either of those guys is in the net."

Teams that win Game 3 after a series is tied 1-1 are 22-7 (75.9 percent) winning a best-of-5 NHL series (14-2 when last used from 1980-86).

If the Maple Leafs lose, they will have a 12.5 percent chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery, to be held Monday.

Here are 3 keys to Game 4:

1. Seizing the moment

Columbus has made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past three seasons and won a series for the first time in their history last season with a stunning four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points. The Blue Jackets understand the importance of their opportunity to close out the series and avoid giving Toronto hope.

"I think experience helps," forward Boone Jenner said Friday. "You've got to go through it to know what you've got to do in these situations. So we feel comfortable as a group that way."

2. Maple Leafs' focus

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe was unhappy with his team's play throughout Game 3, including the first 28:48 when Toronto built a 3-0 lead. He expects a return to the form they showed in the first two games when they held the Blue Jackets to two goals, one into an empty net.

"I thought there was a departure from that yesterday and that's why I didn't feel good about it really right from the start in terms of how we were playing, even how we generated our lead," Keefe said Friday. "Certainly once we had the lead it should have been over if we had the right mindset and mentality and played with the purpose that we've been talking about ... but today is a new day, a new opportunity for us to push back and get back on track."

3. Special teams crucial

After neither team broke through on special teams in Games 1 and 2, Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Ceci scored shorthanded to open the scoring in Game 3 and forward William Nylander scored on the power play to put Toronto ahead 2-0. The Maple Leafs could use a spark from its potent power play (tied for fifth in the NHL at 23.1 percent in the regular season but 1-for-8 in this series) and the Blue Jackets penalty kill unit will have to try its best to shut it down.