Savard fined for slash on Panthers’ Trocheck

TORONTO — Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard was fined $5,000 by the NHL, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, on Monday for slashing Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck.

Savard said the slash, which happened behind the Jackets’ goal with 3:58 left in the third period Sunday and didn’t draw a penalty, wasn’t purposeful.

“It is what it is,” Savard said of his first NHL fine, which will be paid to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. “I wasn’t trying to hit his hand. It was a pretty big chop, looking at it after, but I try to play between whistle. I thought he was going to make a move on (goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky) and I reacted quick and got his hand.

“It wasn’t my intention to try to hurt him or anything,” Savard added. “I was trying to get his stick. But, obviously, I got his hand. Hopefully, he’s fine and able to play.”

The Blue Jackets were upset that Panthers goaltender James Reimer wasn’t penalized for punching center Tyler Motte with his blocker during a pile-up or for tripping right wing Josh Anderson.

Dubois not star-struck

Having held his own twice against his childhood idol — the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby — and also against 2017 No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier of the Devils, Pierre-Luc Dubois felt no jitters Monday going up against Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews.

“I don’t really think about it anymore … it’s just normal now,” Dubois said. “I’m getting used to playing against these (top) players. … If our line gets matched up against their line, I think it’s going to be a good matchup.”

Matthews, the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, and Dubois, the No. 3 pick, share the same agent and have met a couple of times — “He’s a really good guy,” Dubois noted — but they didn’t face off in the teams’ first matchup Dec. 20 at Nationwide Arena because Matthews was injured.

Slap shots

The Jackets used the same lineup Monday at Toronto as Sunday against Florida, including Bobrovsky in goal. Both Bobrovsky (8-30, 2.01 goals-against average, .927 save percentage) and Joonas Korpisalo (4-1-0, 2.20, .939) had strong career statistics against the Leafs. … Defenseman Scott Harrington, who played for the Maple Leafs in 2015-16, said of facing his former team at Air Canada Centre: “When the schedule comes out early in the summer, I always look for this game.” … The Blue Jackets announced the return of their “Learn to Play” program, which gives first-time hockey participants ages 5-8 free head-to-toe equipment and six sessions of instruction over six weeks. Registration information can be found at www.bluejackets.com/LearnToPlay.