The Columbus Blue Jackets came into Montreal riding one of their best stretches of the season, with just one regulation loss in their last 13 games. In what felt like a crucial matchup in the playoff race, confidence was high — and the effort was there.
Columbus played a tight, structured game, limiting chances and keeping the Canadiens in check for most of the night. But in a game where every mistake matters, one moment in the third period made the difference.
Despite the strong defensive performance, the Blue Jackets walked away with nothing — and with teams chasing them in the standings picking up points, the loss stings even more. With Pittsburgh and the Islanders winning, and Ottawa grabbing a point, Columbus now finds itself back in third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Game Summary
1st Period
Columbus came out flying in the opening period, doing almost everything right. The Blue Jackets established a strong forecheck, played physical hockey, won their board battles, and generated plenty of scoring chances. They outshot the Canadiens and controlled the pace early, but the game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Montreal opened the scoring at 9:54 when Jayden Struble scored his first goal of the season. The Canadiens took advantage of a breakdown in coverage, as no Blue Jackets player picked up Struble driving down the right side. Zachary Bolduc made an excellent play by holding onto the puck just long enough before finding Struble, who beat Daniil Tarasov with a clean wrist shot.
But Columbus didn’t let that goal slow them down.
Less than three minutes later, Damon Severson answered right back. After Lane Hutson got caught deep in the offensive zone, the Blue Jackets turned the play into a 2-on-1. Boone Jenner held the puck patiently before sliding it across to Severson, who made no mistake, beating Jakub Dobes on the blocker side to tie the game.
Columbus finished the period with a clear edge in shots and momentum, but couldn’t take the lead.
One concern, however: Severson left the game in the third period after contact with Bolduc. Head coach Rick Bowness said more information will be available tomorrow.
2nd Period; No Goal
The second period had a completely different feel — this was playoff-style hockey.
Both teams tightened things up defensively and played a very cautious game, focusing on structure and limiting mistakes. There was very little space on the ice, with both teams often stacking three players near their blue line to protect the middle.
We saw a lot of dump-and-chase hockey, with neither side willing to take risks.
Montreal had their first power play at 14:36, but it led to very little — just one shot on goal.
It wasn’t the most exciting period for fans, but it was clear both teams were playing for points. Shots were limited, with Columbus recording 6 and Montreal 8 in the period.
3rd Period – The Difference
The turning point came early in the third.
Zachary Bolduc finally snapped his long goal drought — scoring his first goal in 30 games — and it couldn’t have come at a bigger moment. The Canadiens capitalized on a 3-on-2 rush after a strong play by Mike Matheson, who controlled the puck in his own zone before moving it up ice.
The puck eventually found its way to Bolduc on the far side, left alone, and he made no mistake — beating Greaves on the blocker side for his 11th goal of the season.
You could see the emotion right away. That goal meant everything.
From there, Montreal shut things down.
The Canadiens managed the puck extremely well and played a tight defensive game to close it out. Columbus did get a couple of big chances late — including a breakaway that Dobes stopped — and Mason Marchment nearly tied the game with an open net look, but Dobes came up with a huge left-pad save.
That was the save of the night.
Dobes finished with 25 saves on 26 shots for a .962 save percentage. He has now won back-to-back games, posting a 1.50 GAA and a .957 save percentage over that stretch.
After the Game
The frustration was clear in the Blue Jackets’ room — not because of the effort, but because of the result.
“I think we played a really good game tonight,” captain Boone Jenner said. “Both goalies played well. We created a lot, we just weren’t able to get that second one.”
Head coach Rick Bowness echoed that feeling, pointing to a performance that deserved more.
“We certainly played well enough to get that game into at least overtime and get a point,” Bowness said. “But that’s hockey. You have to give their goalie credit.”
Despite the loss, Bowness made it clear he likes the direction of his team.
“I like the way we’re playing 5-on-5. We’re getting our looks, and some nights the puck just won’t go in,” he added. “But I told the guys after the game — if we play 10 more games like that, I really like our chances.”
There was also concern surrounding Damon Severson, who left the game in the third period.
“We’ll get an update on him later, but he’s a big part of our team,” Bowness said. “He scored a great goal for us tonight, and hopefully it’s not too bad. We’ll see what it looks like.”
Notes
The Blue Jackets continue to be one of the hottest teams in the NHL despite the loss. Since Rick Bowness took over behind the bench on January 12, Columbus holds an impressive 19-4-4 record — a stretch that has kept them firmly in the playoff race.
Damon Severson’s goal was another example of how much offense is coming from the blue line. It marked the Blue Jackets’ NHL-leading 54th goal by a defenseman this season — setting a new franchise record and surpassing their previous high from 2017-18.
On the Canadiens’ side, history continues to be made.
Lane Hutson recorded the secondary assist on Jayden Struble’s goal, reaching the 70-point mark on the season. He becomes just the fourth defenseman in Canadiens history to hit that number, and the first since Chris Chelios had 73 points back in 1988-89.
Only Larry Robinson (three times, including a franchise-record 85 points in 1976-77) and Guy Lapointe (twice) have also reached that milestone.
Even more impressive — the Canadiens now have three players with 70+ points this season, joining elite company in the NHL. Only the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche can say the same.
Game Stats
| Stat | CBJ | MTL |
| Shots on Goal | 26 | 20 |
| Face-off % | 48.9% | 51.1% |
| Power Plays (Made/Opportunities) | 0/1 | 0/2 |
| Hits | 27 | 24 |
| Blocked Shots | 8 | 17 |
| Giveaways | 17 | 8 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 3 |
Standing
Unfortunately for Columbus, tonight’s loss hurts even more because both the Penguins and Islanders won, and Ottawa picked up a point. As a result, Columbus is now third in the Metropolitan Division, just one point behind Pittsburgh and tied in points with New York, but with one game in hand. Ottawa, though out of the playoffs, is only one point behind the Blue Jackets. This is absolutely insane and looks like it’s going to stay this tight until the very end of the season. Last year had a similar scenario, with Columbus missing the playoffs on the final day.
Next Game
Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets return home to face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday at 5:00 PM EDT. San Jose has lost their last 6 games, so Columbus will look to take advantage and finish their road trip strong—they went 1-2-0 on the road.
With 10 games remaining, including huge matchups against the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins (twice each!), this playoff race is far from over. Buckle up, Blue Jackets fans—it’s time to improve and push hard!
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