Tavares scores 2, Maple Leafs beat Blue Jackets 3-0
By Nicole Kraft, The Associated Press on February 10, 2023.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – John Tavares scored twice and Ilya Samsonov stopped 30 shots for his third shutout of the season, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 Friday night to snap a three-game road losing streak. Pierre Engvall also scored and Mitch Marner added two assists for Toronto, which remains in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points – 11 points behind first-place Boston. Joonas Korpisalo had 41 saves for Columbus, which has lost four straight and remains last in the NHL standings. Tavares put Toronto up at 5:45 of the first period with his team-lead-tying 10th power-play goal of the season, slipped between Korpisalo’s pads. Korpisalo kept Columbus in the game through two periods, stopping 27 shots, before Toronto took charge in the third period, burying goals 48 seconds apart from Engvall and Tavares for a 3-0 lead at 8:38. UP NEXT Maple Leafs: Host Columbus on Saturday night to finish the home-and home. Blue Jackets: At Toronto on Saturday night. ___ AP NHL: http://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Sports 11-10
