Fantilli gets 1st career hat trick as Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs 5-1

TORONTO (AP) — Adam Fantilli scored three goals for his first career hat trick, Elvis Merzlikins stopped 28 shots, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Luca Del Bel Belluz had a goal and an assist, and James van Riemsdyk also scored for Columbus. The Blue Jackets improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine games and moved into the Eastern Conference’s first wild card spot.

Auston Matthews scored for Toronto, and Dennis Hildeby had 14 saves. The Maple Leafs snapped a three-game winning streak.

Fantilli, a native of nearby Nobleton, Ontario, with 70 family and friends in attendance, pushed Columbus ahead 3-0 with 4:39 left in the second period with his second of the night.

Del Bel Belluz — who’s from Woodbridge, Ontario, also just outside Toronto — made it 4-0 at 5:56 of the third. After Matthews spoiled Merzlikins' shutout bid at 9:22, Fantilli completed his hat trick with an empty-netter with just under 8 minutes remaining.

Blue Jackets: Merzlikins appeared to suffer an injury during the morning skate, but was good to go against Toronto.

Maple Leafs: Matthew Knies (upper-body injury) left the game late in the second period following a big collision near the benches and didn’t return.

Merzlikins made a couple of big stops on Matthews in the middle period before van Riemsdyk and Fantilli scored 1:41 apart to put Columbus up 3-0.

Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski entered play leading the NHL in average ice time at 26:49. He played 24:43 in this game.

Blue Jackets visit Carolina on Thursday to finish a four-game trip, and Maple Leafs play at Ottawa on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs' Conor Timmins (25) as Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski (8) defends during first period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli celebrates his shorthanded goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins makes a save against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Nicholas Robertson (89) protects the puck from Columbus Blue Jackets' Dante Fabbro during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby, Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov (10) and Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) look for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) reaches for the puck in front of Toronto Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg (29) during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) tries to get around Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Kirill Marchenko and Dante Fabbro (15) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli (19) looks on as fans celebrate his third goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)