COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored with 2:12 left in regulation, and the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Monday night, achieving their second straight home win after rallying from two blown two-goal leads.
Dmitri Vorokov scored twice, extending his point streak to five games, with Kent Johnson also finding the net. Jordan Harris netted his first goal for Columbus, and Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan both recorded three assists. Marchenko contributed two assists, showcasing his playmaking ability.
Goaltender Jet Greaves made 27 saves, helping the Blue Jackets snap their seven-game losing streak against Montreal, which dated back to November 23, 2022. On the other side, Canadiens' David Savard and Jake Evans each contributed one goal and one assist, and Lane Hutson scored, extending his point streak to six games. Joel Armia also scored for Montreal, with Cole Caufield adding two assists. Sam Montembeault recorded 27 saves, but the Canadiens, who had won three straight games prior, couldn’t secure the victory.
Taking key takeaways from the match, the Canadiens showed determination, fighting back after being down for most of the game. Yet, trailing after the first period left them vulnerable, as they now hold a dreadful record of 0-11-1 when needing to claw back from behind.
The Blue Jackets began with intensity but faced challenges retaining leads, seeing the Canadiens creep back each time they took command. Vorokov's power-play goal just 14 seconds after the start of the third period helped pull Columbus even, following Armia's goal just 20 seconds earlier, which put Montreal up by one. Marchenko's eventual winning goal, his third of the night, brought the fans to their feet.
On the statistical front, Marchenko not only extended his scoring streak to six games but also saw Werenski set a franchise record with points scored across 11 consecutive home games. Unfortunately for Montreal, they lost forward Patrik Laine early during the game; he registered 6:15 of ice time over six shifts before leaving with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
Looking forward, the Canadiens are set to visit the Florida Panthers on Saturday, aiming to rebound from this defeat. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets will prepare to host the Boston Bruins on Friday night.
