Merzlikins stopped 28 of 29 shots in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to show the rest of the NHL just how good they are, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 Wednesday night, with Adam Fantilli scoring his first career NHL hat trick.

Gets starting nod against Leafs ...

An explosive offense, plucky defense, impressive coaching and deft management decisions have the Blue Jackets battling for a playoff spot.

Merzlikins' unpredictable play on a nightly basis keeps him from becoming one of the league’s elite goalies, while Tarasov’s impressive finish to last season feels like ancient history.