Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, in a game that carried significant playoff implications.
It was a hard-fought game, but in the end, the Canadiens emerged with a 2-1 win.
With the victory, first-year- netminder Jakub Dobes registered his 24th win of the season, officially passing Patrick Roy‘s win haul in his rookie season, doing so in 11 fewer games.
An impressive feat, all things considered.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
First And Best
Jayden Struble made his mark by scoring his first goal of the year, not to mention his first goal since November 26, 2024. Suffice it to say, it’s been a stretch.
It must be said that both Lane Hutson and Zachary Bolduc worked for their assists, with the former keeping the play alive in the offensive zone on two occasions before eventually finding an open teammate.
Jayden Struble's first goal of the season gives the #GoHabsGo a 1-0 lead!
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 26, 2026
Assists to Bolduc and Hutson. pic.twitter.com/oQzcdWnKjH
Dobes Holds The Fort
It was a relatively slow-paced game, though it should be noted the Blue Jackets held a 9-2 edge in high-danger scoring chances through 40 minutes of play.
Dobes did a great job shutting down the Jackets when they were carrying the bulk of the momentum, including a pair of breakaway saves in the second period.
He isn’t always the most technically sound goaltender in the league, but he does have a funny way of securing important wins for the Habs, and that’s all that matters at this point of the season.
A huge save by Jakub Dobes keeps the game tied at 1-1. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VGPgnLjecg
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 27, 2026
Welcome Back, Zach
With the game tied at 1-1, the Canadiens received some much-needed offensive support from the bottom-six, when Zachary Bolduc scored his first goal since December 23, and his 11th of the season.
Secondary and tertiary offence has been difficult to come by in Montreal, making it yet another crucial goal from a player who has struggled to find the back of the net in 2026.
It was easily one of Bolduc’s best outings of the season, as he would go on to knock Blue Jackets defenceman Damon Severson out of the game midway through the third period.
Zachary Bolduc scores his first goal since December 23!
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) March 27, 2026
Great work by Mike Matheson and Jake Evans to setup the play. #GoHabsGo are up 2-1. pic.twitter.com/vVJMEnunn3
Final Seg
The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Saturday, facing the Predators in Nashville, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
