Potential U.S. Olympic teammates Matthews, Werenski face off; Tavares gets next chance at 500th goal
© Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images
There is one game on the NHL schedule Wednesday, and it will be nationally televised. Here are three things to watch:
After all 32 NHL teams played Tuesday, the Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the lone game of the night at Nationwide Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NHLN, SN1, TVAS). The Maple Leafs (5-4-1) and Blue Jackets (5-4-0) each have won two in a row heading into the first of three meetings between them this season; Columbus won two of the three games last season. Maple Leafs forward William Nylander is tied for third in the NHL in assists (12) and eighth in points (15). Forwards Kirill Marchenko (five goals, four assists) and Dmitri Voronkov (five goals, four assists) are tied for the Blue Jackets lead with nine points each.
Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski could be teammates again for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 — it’s 100 days until the Opening Ceremonies — but they will put that aside Wednesday. Matthews was one of the first six players named to U.S. Olympic roster June 16 and Werenski is likely to be among those added when the remaining players are announced in January. Nylander (Sweden) and Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins (Latvia) were also named to their team’s preliminary rosters. Matthews and Werenski previously played together for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, the 2015 and 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship and USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Werenski, who has six points (two goals, four assists) in nine games this season, led 4 Nations with six points (all assists) in four games. Matthews, who has eight points (five goals, three assists) in 10 games this season, had three assists in three games in the tournament.
CBJ@BUF: Werenski strikes late in 2nd with PPG
John Tavares is one away from becoming the fifth active player and 49th in NHL history to reach 500 goals. The Maple Leafs center was held without a goal in a 4-3 victory against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday but had an assist to extend his point streak to five games (four goals, four assists). On Oct. 18, the 35-year-old became the fourth player in League history to get 500 points with multiple teams (also the New York Islanders), joining Ron Francis, Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky.
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Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NHLN, SN1, TVAS
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