Marchenko, Cowan assist Maple Leafs earn rout in Columbus

COLUMBUS — They rained jeers down on Kirill Marchenko when his title was first introduced by means of the Nationwide Arena loudspeakers. They volleyed much more when he first stepped onto the ice. More nonetheless the primary time he touched the puck, and each time after that, too.

But the gang filling the Columbus Blue Jackets’ enviornment booed loudest eight minutes into this tense Tuesday evening affair, when their former starring man darted to the online, turned his skate blades towards the crease, and let an Auston Matthews bullet go careen off his foot and into the again of the cage, spurring the start of an eventual 6-2 Toronto Maple Leafs rout.

“You know, the best thing is to score early, I think, so he got that one right away,” head coach Jim Hiller mentioned after the mud settled on his membership’s spectacular highway win. “That was probably a pretty good relief for him. And I thought he played well. He was dangerous. He was what the Columbus fans have come to see out of him — a dangerous player, and pretty electric.”

There was no love misplaced between Marchenko and the town he referred to as house for the previous 4 years. That a lot was made clear as crystal hours earlier than the 2 groups even hit the ice, when the winger’s former linemate, Adam Fantilli, made his emotions about No. 86’s exit from Columbus recognized.

“Marchy not wanting to be here, it’s tough not to take it personally,” the Blue Jackets centreman mentioned after Columbus’s morning skate. “I’m happy we’ve got guys who want to be here. It would’ve been a nightmare having a guy that didn’t want to be here all year.”

Ten minutes into Tuesday evening’s recreation, Fantilli put an exclamation mark on that assertion, leaning right into a hefty verify that laid the Russian out on the ice. A couple of minutes later, the Nationwide Arena employees replayed the hit on the jumbotron, as a number of strains from Taylor Swift — “We are never, ever, ever getting back together” — rang out overtop. The crowd went wild.

A pair minutes after that, Marchenko was given a short ‘Welcome Back’ tribute of types for the 4 seasons he performed as a Blue Jacket earlier than making his need for a brand new chapter clear. But not with out one other tinge of venom — the winger was proven on display for a second, with CeeLo Green’s Forget You taking part in within the background, earlier than the jumbotron in the reduction of to the Fantilli hit as soon as extra.

“It’s fine,” Marchenko mentioned of the hostile reception late Tuesday evening. “I’ve been ready for that. I can’t control that. … It doesn’t matter for me, actually. I just do my work on the ice, and try to be better.”

Despite the strain within the air Tuesday, the 26-year-old mentioned this return to his previous barn was one to recollect.

“A special night, for sure. I tried to think about my game, tried to focus on what I can control — my game, my shifts, work hard,” he mentioned. “Happy to play right here, blissful to be again. Thank you to all of the followers, all people who was right here after I was right here for 4 years. I’ve solely constructive notes. It was a very good time.

“But I’m really happy to win this game. It’s so important for me.”

While No. 86 was the topic of a lot of the morning’s dialogue within the Blue Jackets locker room, whereas he obtained on the board early to get his membership going, it was Toronto’s high line that led the Maple Leafs to Tuesday’s dominant win.

After William Nylander struck early within the second interval to provide Toronto a one-goal lead, the membership’s high trio of Auston Matthews, Easton Cowan and Jack Roslovic reeled off a aim apiece to take the guests into second intermission up 5-1.

It was a banner evening for younger Cowan, whose tally got here off a short-handed two-on-one alongside Nylander — “I think the goalie was favouring Willy, which I probably would too,” Cowan mentioned with a chuckle post-game — and who completed the evening along with his first profession three-point recreation.

“I can’t say enough good things about him, honestly,” Hiller mentioned of the younger winger post-game. “He’s exceeded my expectations — and I had high expectations for him. But he told me this is what he was going to do. So, he’s living up to his end of the bargain.”

Easier mentioned than executed for a 21-year-old in simply his second marketing campaign, maybe. But the 2023 No. 28 decide has appeared a special participant this season in comparison with the nervous younger gun who suited up for Toronto as a rookie final season.

“I think a lot of players, they have high expectations for themselves. But as a young player, it’s hard to fulfil those expectations this early,” Hiller mentioned. “Especially a number of the stuff along with his recreation that he needed to change slightly bit. But he’s executed it.

“It’s just understanding how the NHL works. It’s one thing how junior works, it’s one thing how college works, one thing how the American League works. How does the NHL work? You’ve kind of got to understand that. I think he’s gotten there.”

The breakout provides Cowan 10 factors by means of 11 video games this season. An identical three-point evening provides Roslovic 9 factors in as many. And Matthews, who appears to have absolutely unearthed the all-world type that received him a Hart Trophy a half-decade in the past, now sits at eight objectives and 18 factors by means of 11 tilts.

“His leadership, it goes a long way,” Cowan mentioned of No. 34’s immense affect to date this season. “You guys see what he does on the ice, however off the ice he’s simply pretty much as good. He’s been nice for us.

“He’s our captain for a reason.”

It was a worrying evening for an additional key chief on the Maple Leafs bench, as Jake McCabe went down with a harmful damage late within the first interval of Tuesday’s win. The veteran defender was clipped up excessive by an errant stick from Columbus’s Kent Johnston, whose blade appeared to rake McCabe close to his left eye. He stayed down on the ice for a while as trainers rushed to his facet, cleansing up the blood.

McCabe didn’t return, heaping extra strain on an already short-handed defence corps that’s nonetheless lacking Chris Tanev. Hiller mentioned post-game that the previous gave the impression to be alright.

“We held him out for precautionary (reasons),” the coach mentioned. “He seems to be doing OK. But we just wanted to make sure.”

“I’m really grateful it looks like it wasn’t as bad as we originally thought,” mentioned fellow defender Marshall Rifai, who was thrust right into a greater-than-expected function with the veteran sidelined, and earned his first carer NHL aim in consequence. “That was scary there for a second, but he’s a huge piece of this team, and he’ll be back helping us.”

McCabe’s unsure standing apart, it was a memorable evening and a well-earned two factors for the visiting Leafs, who’ve now rebounded from their three-game slide earlier this month with back-to-back wins. But it is the method that the staff is specializing in greater than the outcomes.

“It feels really good,” Morgan Rielly mentioned of the turnaround. “You know, there’s pace, it looks pretty simple, pretty straightforward. That’s the good news — I think as a group, we’ve had a tendency to overcomplicate things or try to make too many plays. I think when we’re able to keep it simple and just manage the puck, our big guys can take over. I think that’s what happened here.”

“I think our leaders led the way,” added Rifai. “Auston was unbelievable again, Rielly was unbelievable. I think our leaders really stepped up. Our best players were our best players, and that’s why we got the two points.”