Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadians: Season 25 3/26/26

 A win tonight was important for both teams. This was imminent throughout the game as both teams played as if it were a playoff game. Given the standings, it basically is. Period 1 would see a goal for each team. The Canadians' Jayden Struble would score the first goal of the game, and the first goal of his season, at 9:54. Zachary Bolduc added his seventeenth assist this season on the primary, while Lane Hutson added his fifty-ninth assist this season on the secondary. Damon Severson would match that goal with his eighth this season at 12:17! Our Captain, Boone Jenner, would add his twenty-third assist this season on the primary, while Isac Lundestrom added his seventh assist this season on the secondary. Although the score would be tied, the Blue Jackets would dominate shots on goal this period, 13-6.  

Period 2 would have a lot of action, but it would lack the most important thing in hockey: Goals. Yep, the score would remain 1-1 after forty minutes were in the books. One change from Period 1 to Period 2 would be in shots on goal. There would be fewer this period, led by our opponent. The Canadians would win the battle in shots 8-6. 

4:36 into the final regulation period, Zachary Bolduc would become the first player of either team to achieve a multipoint night. He'd take back the Canadians' lead with goal 11 of his season. Jake Evans would add his eleventh assist this season on the primary, and Mike Matheson added his twenty-eighth assist this season on the secondary. Late in the period, the Blue Jackets' penalty kill would do its job as Captain Boone Jenner would be charged with a 2-minute goaltender interference penalty against the Canadians' Jakub Dobes. Then, with just over two minutes to play, Jet Greeaves would deny Cole Cufield with a season-highlight glove save. I'm proud to say our Blue Jackets pushed till the very end, but even with an extra man and Jet Greaves on the Blue Jackets bench, they wouldn't be able to match the Canadians' second goal. They fall tonight on the road, 2-1. The shots on goal in this final regulation period would be low again, but in favor of our Blue Jackets, 7-6. But still, ugh. 

Canadians' Jayden Struble gets the Third Star of the Game after he scored their first goal of the night. 

Canadians' Goaltender, Jakub Dobas, gets the Second Star of the Game after stopping 25 of our 26 shots on his net. This equaled out to a .962 save percentage. 

Canadians' Zachary Bolduc gets the First Star of the Game after being the only player on either team with a multipoint night. He had a goal and an assist. 

UPDATED STANDINGS:

After this loss tonight, and a shootout win by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Ottawa Senators, the Blue Jackets do slide down to Third in the Metropolitan Division. That said, we're still in a playoff spot, and the Penguins do only have us by a point. Also, after a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars at home, the New York Islanders take Wildcard 1. This bumps the Boson Bruins into Wildcard 2 and puts the Detroit Red Wings as the first team out again. It's still amazing to me how close our division and the entire Easter Conference are. 

The good news is that the Blue Jackets will head home for their next game. We will play again on Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. as the San Jose Sharks come to Columbus to battle.    

Go CBJ! 


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