Kadri helps Leafs rip Jackets

TORONTO — Nazem Kadri picked up his fourthcareer hat trick and recorded a career-high five points as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 on Wednesday.

Frederik Andersen made a career-high 54 saves for the Maple Leafs (35-19-5), who went 5-0-0 on their homestand.

The Blue Jackets (29-24-4) recorded 50 or more shots in their third straight game, making them the first team to accomplish the feat in the postexpansion era (since 1967-68).

Joonas Korpisalo made 22 saves in defeat. The Leafs played much of the game without defenceman Jake Gardiner, who left the game after one period of play with a lower-body injury. The cause of the ailment is unknown. However, video from the contest suggests it occurred when he took a hard slash to the legs from Matt Calvert.

The Leafs opened the scoring when Dominic Moore scored his fifth goal of the season while on a 2-on-1. With David Savard taking away the passing lane to Kasperi Kapanen, Moore took a backhanded shot and beat Korpisalo. Roman Polak and Travis Dermott collected the assists at 4:38.

Toronto added to its lead when Kadri cut around Koripsalo before using a screen to score his first goal of the game to make it 2-0. James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Rielly collected assists at 7:36.

The Blue Jackets cut Toronto’s lead in half when Nick Foligno received a centring pass from Alexander Wennberg and fired a backhander past Andersen. Dean Kukan picked up the secondary assist at 18:21.

Foligno scored his second goal of the game early in the second period. He received a pass from Wennberg on a 2-on-1 to beat Andersen. Oliver Bjorkstrand picked up the secondary assist at 2:25.

Kadri replied with his second goal of the night to reclaim the lead for Toronto. Rielly’s centring pass went straight to Kadri near the Columbus net and beat Korpisalo with a one-timer to make it 3-2. Dermott picked up another assist at 8:03.

Toronto restored its two-goal lead when Kadri centred a pass to Mitch Marner, who beat Korpisalo on a one-timer to make it 4-2. Patrick Marleau also picked up an assist at 10:17.

Jack Johnson fired a slap shot from the left circle that beat Andersen and went off the post and into the net to cut the Leafs lead to 4-3. Foligno and Markus Nutivaara picked up assists at 14:35.

Kadri completed the hat trick at 11:21 of the third period. Marleau and Marner collected assists.

Marleau then scored an empty-net goal at 18:13. Leo Komarov and Kadri collected assists.

Byfuglien fined

(CP) — Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was fined by the NHL on Wednesday.

Byfuglien is facing a $5,000 penalty for slashing Washington Capitals forward Jay Beagle during a game Tuesday.

The Capitals’ Madison Bowey is also facing a fine of nearly $2000 for interference in the same game.