3 least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players in 6-3 loss to Columbus Blue Jackets ft. Cayden Primeau

The Toronto Maple Leafs mounted a comeback that fell woefully short in Wednesday night’s lone NHL game. Toronto lost 6-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

John Tavares scored his 500th NHL goal, with Sammy Blais getting his first for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nick Robertson added the other for Toronto. Meanwhile, Cole Sillinger scored twice for the Blue Jackets, with Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov, Dante Fabbro, and Mathieu Olivier finding the back of the net.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players from their loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.

3 least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players from loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

#3 Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain had an uncharacteristically bad game on Wednesday night. He hit the ice for nearly 20 minutes across 22 shifts. He managed six shots on goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

But it was his questionable choices that led to the Blue Jackets gaining plenty of momentum. In particular, Auston Matthews’ misplay at the Columbus blue line led to Sillinger’s second of the night. Here’s a look:

The Blue Jackets got a 2-on-1 after Matthews failed to keep the puck in the zone. The Blue Jackets didn’t miss.

Also, Matthews took a slashing penalty during an early third-period power play. The game was 5-1 at that point. But the power play opportunity could have spurred a comeback from Toronto. The penalty effectively took the wind out of Toronto’s sails.

#2 Matias Maccelli

Matias Maccelli continues to struggle for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He hit the ice for just 12:34 despite playing on the same line with Matthew Knies and John Tavares. Maccelli got just one shot on goal. But it was his defensive play that left much to be desired.

The entire Toronto second line got burned on various occasions, with Maccelli being unable to contribute much defensively. The Finnish forward could find himself gradually sliding down the team’s depth chart if this trend continues.

#1 Cayden Primeau

The Toronto Maple Leafs' backup netminder had a night to forget. He surrendered six goals on 24 shots. While the Leafs didn’t exactly play a solid defensive effort in front of him, Cayden Primeau allowed more than one soft goal.

Here’s an example:

Werenski deserves credit for making a good shot. But that’s one that Primeau should have stopped. Instead, it was the Blue Jackets’ second goal on four shots to start the game. Primeau didn’t keep his team in the game, leading to the lopsided score.

The Maple Leafs will be looking to get back on track as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center next Saturday to kick off their November schedule.