PREVIEW: Blue Jackets finish road swing at Montreal

If the mark of a good team – perhaps even a playoff team – is how it responds to adversity, the Blue Jackets passed the test Tuesday in Philadelphia. 

After a first period that head coach Rick Bowness described as one of the team's worst since he took over in mid-January, the Blue Jackets retired to their locker room down 1-0 after 20 minutes against the Flyers and knew something had to change. 

“You can probably guess what was said,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “(The first period) definitely wasn’t good enough on our end.” 

The response, then, was quick and decisive. Less than 2:30 into the second period, the Blue Jackets were up 2-1 thanks to Werenski setting up a goal by Mathieu Olivier and then tallying himself, and from there Columbus was able to right the ship.

The Blue Jackets played what has become their usual team-oriented, defensive style over the final two frames and finished off a 3-2 victory over the Flyers, giving the team points in 13 of its last 14 games (9-1-4) in the midst of its charge to the postseason.

“Listen, this is a very proud group,” Bowness said. “We know how bad we looked in the first period, let’s put it that way. We have great leadership in that room. They took over, so we started to play Columbus Blue Jackets hockey in the second and third.” 

The victory coupled with losses by Pittsburgh, the New York Islanders, Boston and Detroit meant it was a very good night on the standings front for Columbus. With 87 points, the Blue Jackets moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division, passing the Pens by a point, and are now two points on the right side of the playoff line with 11 games to play. 

It’s still quite a congested Eastern Conference, though, with seven teams sitting between 84 and 88 points on the season. Tonight’s matchup between the Blue Jackets and Montreal (88) features two teams who are currently holding a postseason spot, but nothing remains assured given how tight the pack is. 

“There hasn’t been much separation all year,” Werenski said after the game. “There still isn’t. We have 11 games left. Every game is going to be critical, and every night, each team that you’re fighting with, they’re playing each other so someone’s getting points. 

“It’s just about focusing on us right now. We’re just going to enjoy this win tonight, we’re gonna get to Montreal and then we’re gonna focus on them come Thursday. Each game, we’ve just taken it day-by-day and game-by-game and trying to get the best result we can.”

Scratches: Dmitri Voronkov, Miles Wood, Jake Christiansen, Egor Zamula  

Injured Reserve: D Brendan Smith (knee surgery, out three to four months as of Jan. 8)      

Roster Report: The Blue Jackets were off Wednesday and will hold a pregame morning skate ahead of the contest vs. the Canadiens. 

This Day in CBJ History

March 26, 2008: Fredrik Norrena earns his second shutout in nine days, stopping all 17 shots in a 4-0 victory vs. Chicago. Clay Wilson leads the way offensively with a goal and an assist, while Joakim Lindström, Michael Peca and David Vyborny score. 

March 26, 2009: The Blue Jackets continue their march toward the team’s first-ever playoff berth with a 5-0 win vs. Calgary at Nationwide Arena in which Steve Mason earns the 10th shutout of his rookie season. Jason Williams scored two goals while Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius each post four assists. Columbus also set a franchise record with 52 penalty minutes in the second period, including fighting majors for Jared Boll and Rostislav Klesla as well as misconducts for Boll, Kris Russell and Jake Voracek. 

March 26, 2013: Sergei Bobrovsky stops all 34 shots he sees in regulation and overtime, but Vancouver wins the shootout to take a 1-0 victory. It’s the second such instance in team history, as Mason had stopped 45 shots in a 1-0 shootout loss to Detroit on April 9, 2010. 

March 26, 2019: This time Bobrovsky gets the win, posting his second straight shutout as the Blue Jackets earn a crucial 4-0 victory over the New York Islanders amid its playoff run. Cam Atkinson posts a goal and an assist, while Ryan Dzingel, Artemi Panarin and Oliver Bjorkstrand also tally. 

The Numbers Game

Columbus is 20-3-4 since Jan. 11 and leads the NHL in points percentage (.815) in that span. ... The Blue Jackets have allowed two goals or less in seven of the last eight games. ... Zach Werenski has moved into fifth place in CBJ single-season annals with 77 points this year. With 21 goals and 56 assists – three short of tying the franchise record – he is third among NHL defensemen in goals and second in points. Werenski has points in 28 of his last 34 games (12-35-47) as well as 39 of the last 48 (17-49-66). He leads NHL defensemen in multipoint games (25, tied for seventh overall in NHL) and has tied Artemi Panarin’s team record set in 2018-19. ... Adam Fantilli has eight goals in the last 15 games and posted a 9-14-23 line in the last 21 games. He has points in seven of the last eight games (3-6-9). ... Kirill Marchenko notched his 100th career assist and 200th career point Tuesday vs. Philadelphia. He has a 7-11-18 line in the last 19 games, is second in the NHL with six shootout goals and has scored on 10 of 15 career shootout attempts, the best mark among all active NHLers and second best in league history (minimum 10 attempts). ... Charlie Coyle has 11 goals and 30 points in the past 27 games as well as a 7-18-25 line in the last 22 contests, placing him 10th in the NHL in points in that span. ... Jet Greaves is 12-1-2 in his last 16 appearances with a 2.24 GAA, while Elvis Merzlikins is 8-2-2 in his last 13 with a 2.50 GAA. Greaves has a 1.59 GAA and .934 save percentage in his last five games as well. ... Mathieu Olivier has 11 goals in the last 20 games, tying him for eighth in the NHL since Jan. 26. … Blue Jackets defensemen have scored 53 goals this season, the most in the NHL and a new franchise record. … Columbus has scored first in 43 of 71 games overall, tied with Washington and Colorado for the most in the NHL. ...  The Blue Jackets are 6-1 in shootouts this year. ... Boone Jenner has 209 career goals, four behind Cam Atkinson for second in team history. 

Know The Foe: Montreal Canadiens

Head coach: Martin St. Louis (Fifth season)  

Team stats: Goals per game: 3.53 (3rd) | Scoring defense: 3.21 (25th) | PP: 25.0 percent (3rd) | PK: 76.3 percent (27th)  

The narrative: Boosted by an underrated captain in Nick Suzuki and stocked with young offensive talents like Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov, Montreal followed three straight last-place finishes in the Atlantic Division by edging out the Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot a year ago. Standing three points clear of the playoff line this year, the Habs appear to be on a collision course with playoff hockey again, much to the delight of one of the most passionate cities in the NHL.   

Scoring leaders: Coming off a career-best 89 point season, Suzuki is set to pass that mark as his 24-62-86 line ties him for sixth in the NHL in assists and eighth in points. Caufield has been one of the league's top snipers this year, placing second in the league with a career-high 44 goals among his 76 points. Just 22, Hutson won the Calder Trophy a year ago and is sixth this year among league defensemen in scoring with 69 points (11 goals, 58 assists). Slafkovsky, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, has a 28-35-63 line, while rookie Ivan Demidov is second among league rookies with 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists). 

In net: With the struggles of Sam Montembeault, Montreal has turned to a pair of youngsters in net in Ohio State product Jakub Dobes and rookie Jacob Fowler. Dobes leads the team with 34 starts and is 23-8-4 with a 2.88 GAA and .896 save percentage, while the 21-year-old Fowler is 6-5-2 with a 2.72 GAA and .899 save percentage. 

What's new: With so many skilled young players, the Canadiens are able to be the most exciting team in the league one night and frustrating the next, but there’s no doubt they’re a dangerous foe. Sitting in third in the Atlantic Division, Montreal is closing in on a playoff spot, thanks in part to consecutive home wins over the Islanders (7-3) and Hurricanes (5-2). Caufield in particular is on a tear, posting seven goals in the last six games including a hat trick against the Isles.  

Trending: The first game of the season series was all the way back on Nov. 17, as the Blue Jackets won a 4-3 final in a shootout. Columbus has lost four straight in Centre Bell over the last three seasons. 

Former CBJ: Now in his sixth season in Montreal, Josh Anderson has a 13-9-22 line in 62 games, while Alexandre Texier joined the team midseason and has eight goals and 19 points in 38 contests. Patrik Laine has played just five games, none since October since suffering an injury early in the campaign, while St. Louis served as a CBJ coaching consultant during the 2018-19 season.