Tavares shines as Maple Leafs notch win over Blue Jackets

Canadian John Tavares scored twice as the Toronto Maple Leafs posted a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on Friday night to snap a three-game road losing streak.

LEAFS WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIN!!@LGCanada | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/RCpxQDUit2

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 11, 2023

“We did some good things, got involved,” the 32-year-old Tavares said. “I think after the first period we controlled the neutral zone.”

Ilya Samsonov stopped 30 shots for his third shutout of the season, Pierre Engvall also scored and Mitch Marner added two assists for Toronto, who remain in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points — 11 points behind first-place Boston.

More on this topic:

Maple Leafs appoint Berube as new head coach

Marner’s assists extended his point streak to five games and Morgan Rielly’s assist on Engvall’s goal extended his point streak to three games.

“I thought we played a pretty solid and patient game,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We didn’t give up a lot and extended our lead in the third period, which is what you want to do.”

Joonas Korpisalo had 41 saves for Columbus, who have lost four straight and remains last in the NHL standings.

“(We) were a shot away for a long time,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “We actually had a couple of decent looks there at the end of the second and early in the third, and then they get those two quick ones on us.”

The Maple Leafs host Columbus to finish the home-and home and the Blue Jackets are at Toronto on Saturday night.