It’s been more than two months since the Columbus Blue Jackets won consecutive games.
Winning a single game remains a serious challenge for the Montreal Canadiens.
The visiting Blue Jackets look to post back-to-back victories for the first time since late November and extend the lowly Canadiens’ winless streak to six games on Sunday night.
Columbus is 7-15-1 without posting two victories in a row since winning three straight from Nov. 22-26. However, they snapped a three-game skid with Thursday’s 5-3 home victory over the New York Rangers.
Boone Jenner and Sean Kuraly each scored twice, and Zach Werenski added three assists as the Blue Jackets overcame an early 2-0 hole to rally and bounce back from an ugly 6-0 loss to Calgary from Wednesday. It was also a needed strong offensive showing for Columbus, which totaled seven goals in its previous five games.
“I feel like every line had chances (Thursday),” forward Patrik Laine, who recorded two assists against the Rangers, told the Blue Jackets’ official website. “We were able to score five goals, which usually should win you a game.”
Jenner has totaled 10 of his team-leading 30 points while posting six goals and four assists over his last nine games.
“He works hard every night, and that’s how you’re going to get success,” Laine said.
Jenner, though, has recorded just one point even while Columbus has gone 3-0-1 in its last four against the Canadiens.
Teammate Joonas Korpisalo is 3-1-0 with a 2.25 goals-against average all-time versus Montreal. He made 33 saves on Thursday to post just the second win over his last seven starts. Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins, however, has a 4.07 goals-against average while losing three of his last four starts.
Keeping pucks out of the net remains a major reason Montreal sits last in the NHL with only eight wins and 23 points — and is mired in an 0-3-2 slide. Following Saturday’s 7-2 home defeat to Edmonton, the Canadiens have yielded a league-high 166 non-shootout goals on the season and an average of 4.8 goals during their current 1-7-4 rut.
“It’s disappointing,” said Canadiens forward Tyler Toffoli, who has three goals and five assists in his last seven games.
“It’s one of those things where you look at the standings and we’re not in it. We have to make the best of what we have left. … We have to do a better job of playing the right way.”
Montreal’s Sam Montembeault (3.95 goals-against average) allowed six goals on 16 shots faced before he was pulled after two periods on Saturday night. Teammate Cayden Primeau, who stopped seven of eight shots in relief of Montembeault versus Edmonton, is 1-4-1 with a 4.51 GAA this season.
Canadiens forward and ex-Blue Jacket Josh Anderson has a goal with an assist in the last two contests.
Montreal forward Paul Byron is expected to make his season debut Sunday after undergoing summer hip surgery. Meanwhile, teammate Brendan Gallagher is also slated to return from a nine-game absence because of a lower-body injury.
Columbus and Montreal are squaring off for the first time since Feb. 2, 2020.
–Field Level Media