Toronto Maple Leafs @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Hockey is for Everyone Night- 2/10/23 Game Recap

Welcome back from the 2023 All-Star Break 5th Line!

Tonight was a very special evening. Not only are we back to Hockey after the All-Star break we also celebrate Hockey is for Everyone night tonight! I see many jokes about how anyone can go to a hockey game on social media. From the outside looking in, I understand that that's an obvious assumption about the evening. I personally enjoy this evening, and I'll tell you why. During the first intermission break, I was nearly in tears listening to Tom's story on the CBJ Radio Broadcast. He's been a massive fan for twenty years and a season ticket holder. Regardless of where he is, watching the game in person or at home, he listens to the games due to an accident taking his vision decades ago. As many of you know, I still have some of my vision, but it could be better, and what I haven't had since birth isn't retrievable. Hockey is for Everyone celebrates pride nicely, but it also includes those with disabilities or any other limitations, like our ambassador Max Domi last season, who encouraged those who wanted to play but also had type 1 diabetes. It's a beautiful night, and Dylan Tyrer, that was the best interview I've personally heard from you all season. I hope everyone enjoys the night for what it is, inclusion for all who love the game of Hockey. With that all being said, let's recap a hockey game!

5:45 into Period 1, we'd have our only goal of this period. The Maple Leafs would go on a Powerplay, which this team we played against tonight is pretty skilled at, within the top ten in the NHL as it stands right now. J. Tavares would score this goal and give his team a 1-0 lead going into the second period of play. 

Period 2 would fit into this game nicely; the competition would continue to be fierce and result in no goals. The Maple Leafs would continue on their goal attempt projectory, whereas the Blue Jackets would anti up, more than doubling their goal shot attempts from the first twenty minutes of this game. Even with all of that, this game would remain a 1-0 Maple Leafs lead. 

Unfortunately, Period 3 would not go the way of the Blue Jackets...in many ways. P. Engvall would get a puck past Joonas Korpisalo at 7:40. This goal, making the game a 2-0 Maple Leeaf's lead, would be a tall order to match for the Blue Jackets, especially with this season's track record. So, when J. Tavares scored another goal at 8:38, this game was already as good as over. Add in a 2-minute penalty and a 10-minute misconduct for Captain Boone Jenner, who often centers the top line, and you could officially stick a fork in this Maple Leaf's shutout. 

Even with the final score in mind, Joonas Korpisalo had a fantastic night in the net. This was proven by his receiving the Third Star of the Game tonight. The Maple Leafs had 41 chances to get a puck past him, and 38 of those Korpi denied (some with highlight real excellence.) The Blue Jackets had the drive and fight in them tonight, just not the goals needed to score or make this a game in that elusive third period, which has honestly been a pain all season.      

The good news is that this is a back-to-back homestand for these two teams, meaning we get a second crack at the Maple Leafs in Toronto tomorrow. The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM. 

Go CBJ!