COLUMBUS, Ohio _ It started as usual for home-openers in Columbus, with the Blue Jackets arriving to Nationwide Arena, dressed to the nines, for a grand entrance along a blue carpet lined with adoring fans.
The memories of last season came rushing back Friday night at Nationwide Arena, including the improbable sweep of the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning, the sound of "C-B-J!" chants ringing off the rafters and the sight of a packed house filled with delirious Blue Jackets fans ready to blow the roof off.
Only, this wasn't last season _ as the Toronto Maple Leafs made sure to drive home with a 4-1 victory to spoil an otherwise festive evening for the Blue Jackets.
Mitch Marner scored two goals, and Cody Ceci and Auston Matthews each added one for the Maple Leafs, who got 28 saves from goalie Frederik Anderson. Cam Atkinson scored the lone goal for the Jackets, which has become somewhat of a tradition.
It was the sixth straight goal in a season-opener for Atkinson, who tied an NHL record streak that he now shares with former Detroit Red Wing Mud Bruneteau (1940-45) and former Montreal Canadien Yvon Cournoyer (1973-78).
Joonas Korpisalo, who backed up Sergei Bobrovsky the past four seasons, got the start for the Blue Jackets and made 25 saves. Marner, however, beat him twice _ once to open the scoring on a power play in the first period and again early in the third.
Each goal was a good example of the elite skill level that powers the Maple Leafs, which the Blue Jackets were unable to match despite an impressive effort.
The shots were about even, but the Maple Leafs got high-level plays from superstars like Marner and captain John Tavares _ whose combined yearly salaries of $21,893,000 is only $15.1 million less than the entire amount the Blue Jackets pay for their 13 forwards.
Marner's first goal, scored seven seconds into a power play, made it 1-0 after one-time a return feed from Tavares past Korpisalo on the short side. Ceci's goal made it 2-0 midway through the second, preceding Atkinson's tally by about four minutes, but Marner struck again just 2:16 into the third.
His second goal came off a shot from the low slot that slid through traffic, snuck under Korpisalo's pads and was kicked in by the goalie _ who didn't know it was behind him. Matthews, who pulls in $11,634,000 a year, added a goal with 5:56 to play to assure Toronto's victory.
It was only one game, against a team expected to roll this season, but there was definitely a sting for the Blue Jackets _ who will now play at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
It's another tall order, but one thing will not change.
"We've got a chip on our shoulder," coach John Tortorella said Thursday. "We do, as far as seeing some guys (in free agency) saying, 'Nah, the hell with you guys, we don't want to be here.' That's an insult to some of the guys. So, it's there. It's there and I hope it builds to a level that it's always with us."
