PREVIEW: Blue Jackets welcome Toronto to Nationwide Arena

MAPLE LEAFS (25-10-2) at BLUE JACKETS (22-12-3) Friday, 7 p.m., Nationwide Arena (Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports app, 97.1 The Fan)
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have won five in a row and claimed points in seven straight, but head coach John Tortorella still isn't sure what team he's going to get on a daily basis from his team.
After a number of strong performances from his team as it closed out its most recent homestand, Columbus went on the road before Christmas and won two straight without playing its best hockey.

When asked before the team's first post-holiday game at the New York Rangers on Thursday what he wanted to see his team improve on, Tortorella had a quick answer.
"Everything," he said. "Everything."
So what was the response after the Blue Jackets rallied to earn a 4-3 victory in Madison Square Garden?
A similar message. Yes, it was another win, but again, the team still has another level it can reach, the head coach believes.
"I'm not trying to criticize the team, and I don't want to be too hard on it because this is a big part of the National Hockey League," Tortorella said. "It happens every night where teams don't play their best and they find ways to win. We have a little bit of a run going here. I think prior to these last three games, we played five or six really good games and didn't get all the results we wanted. It all evens out. We just have to keep getting better each and every day."
And it's not a bad thing to go on the road and win three straight against division opponents while not playing a team's best hockey. One consistent message from the team of late is the points will count the same in April, and with the victory Thursday, Columbus pulled within two points of Metropolitan Division-leading Washington.
But the next test for Columbus is one in which the Jackets will have to be on top of their game. Toronto visits Nationwide Arena on Friday for the second time this year while boasting one of the top offenses and best records in the National Hockey League.
Make defensive mistakes, play poorly away from the puck, and the team's winning streak will likely be over.
"We'll grab the two points, get on the plane, and get ready for a really tough Toronto team," Tortorella said.
Sergei Bobrovsky, who is 5-0-1 in his previous six starts, will likely be back in net for the game after Joonas Korpisalo picked up the win against the Rangers. Korpisalo was deputized to make the first start after the holiday break and made 19 saves.
"He played great tonight," defenseman Zach Werenski said. "He battled hard, he made some huge saves for us, and it's always nice when you can get a win for him. He works so hard in practice, and obviously Bob plays a lot of the games, but when he gets in there he keeps us in games and he makes huge saves, and that's all we can ask for."
Nationwide Arena should be rocking for the game considering Toronto's large fanbase, the Leafs' cadre of young talent, and the fact the Blue Jackets are coming back with some momentum.
Columbus has found a way to win five straight, and turning that number into a six is the team's focus.
"We're finding ways to get two points, and that's the most important thing right now," Werenski said.
Know the Foe
Toronto enters second in the Atlantic Division and in the Eastern Conference race with 52 points thanks to a 25-10-2 record.
The Maple Leafs have been one of the game's most exciting teams, placing second in the NHL with 3.78 goals per game while allowing 2.78 per contest. The addition of John Tavares to top-shelf young talent including Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner has done nothing but help, with Marner boasting a team-high 38 assists and 50 points (fifth in the league), Tavares with a team-best 24 goals (third in the league) among 42 points, and Matthews with a 19-15-34 line in just 23 games.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has also jumped into the short list of Norris Trophy candidates with 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points. In net, Frederik Anderson has led the way with 30 starts, going 20-9-1 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Garret Sparks (5-1-1, 3.01, .908) is the No. 2.
The Leafs enter having won their last four games before the break, averaging 5.75 goals per game in those wins over New Jersey, Florida, the New York Rangers and Detroit.
The teams traded 4-2 wins earlier this year with Toronto winning at home Nov. 19 and Columbus returning the favor in Nationwide Arena four days later. Josh Anderson scored twice, Cam Atkinson and Markus Hannikainen added goals, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves in the win in Columbus.
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Boone Jenner - Josh Anderson
Nick Foligno - Alex Wennberg - Anthony Duclair
Markus Hannikainen - Brandon Dubinsky - Riley Nash
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara
Scott Harrington - David Savard
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: Lukas Sedlak, Dean Kukan