Ugly scene in Columbus involving the fans and Kirill Marchenko

The Toronto Maple Leafs winger heard loud boos every time he touched the puck in his first game back since the Sept. 28 trade that sent Matthew Knies to Columbus.

The Blue Jackets had planned a measured welcome, acknowledging Marchenko without a full tribute video, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. The fans had other plans.

The anger is rooted in how the winger left. He made it known he would not sign an extension with Columbus, and general manager Don Waddell said he never received a straight answer on why.

His former teammates did not hide their feelings either. Adam Fantilli said he was “happy we got guys who want to be here,” adding that a full season with a player who wanted out would have been miserable.
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Zach Werenski also said the saga had become a distraction the Blue Jackets did not need to open the season.

The response came quickly. After Columbus grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the first period, Marchenko tied it on the power play when a centering pass deflected off his skate and past Jet Greaves. It was his fifth goal of the season.

The goal quieted the building, at least briefly, and it fit a pattern. Marchenko recorded a hat trick against Buffalo on Oct. 15 and now has five goals this season, a strong start to the six-year, $75 million contract he signed with the Leafs.

For Toronto, the deal looks better with every game, even as Knies settles in nicely with his new club in Columbus.

Toronto entered the night chasing back-to-back wins for the first time this season, and Marchenko gave them an early boost.

Every boo added to the storyline, and Marchenko answered with his stick in front of a hostile crowd that had waited all month to let him hear it.

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