Maple Leafs 3, Blue Jackets 1

TORONTO (AP) -Dominic Moore is really enjoying playing on the same line with Chad Kilger and Boyd Devereaux.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are pretty pleased with the way it's going for that line, too.

Kilger, Carlo Colaiacovo and Nik Antropov scored, Moore had two assists and the Maple Leafs beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Tuesday night.

"They're the kind of guys that are sort of underrated," Moore said of his linemates. "What they do a lot of times goes unnoticed - little things that make a big difference.

"I think the three of us sort of know how to support each other that way."

Vesa Toskala made 26 saves while starting for the 17th time in 18 games for Toronto, which beat a team on the edge of the playoff picture for a second straight game.

"I think it was a pretty solid game from us," Toskala said. "Not many turnovers, everybody was helping each other out there. Pretty good game."

The Blue Jackets Nikolai Zherdev gets tied up with Maple Leafs defenseman Hal Gill during the third period of Columbus' 3-1 loss at Toronto on Tuesday. Zherdev scored the Jackets only goal. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Adrian Wyld)

Nikolai Zherdev had the only goal for the Blue Jackets, which started the night three points out of a playoff spot in the West.

Columbus barely threatened during the final two periods and head to Ottawa for a game Thursday before visiting Montreal on Saturday.

"We're really desperate right now," said Pascal Leclaire, who made 22 saves for the Blue Jackets. "We're not playing the way we want to play, and since the (All-Star) break, we haven't played the hockey we did before. We've got to get back to it, because there aren't a lot of games left, and other teams are playing well."

Colaiacovo opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 5:41 of the first period. The defenseman beat the screened Leclaire with a low point shot.

Antropov made it 2-0 just 6 seconds after Ron Hainsey had been sent off for holding. Antropov was planted at the side of the goal when he knocked the puck out of the air and flipped it into an empty net at 15:13.

The Blue Jackets rebounded quickly as Zherdev beat Toskala with a quick shot after taking a pass from Michael Peca at 15:43.

Kilger restored the two-goal advantage before the end of the first period. After a broken rush, he spun and fired a shot under Leclaire's left leg at 16:57.

Notes: It was just the fifth regular-season meeting between the teams. ... The Blue Jackets only have three players with more than 10 goals: Rick Nash (31), Zherdev (24) and Jason Chimera (11). ... Maple Leafs enforcer Wade Belak was a healthy scratch for the fifth straight game.