Blue Jackets edge Canadiens for 12th straight win
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Montreal returned to Nationwide Arena seeking redemption for a 10-goal drubbing from Columbus last month but had no such luck as the Blue Jackets came away with a 2-1 win in front of a sellout crowd of 18,147 on Friday night.
Sam Gagner and Brandon Saad scored for Columbus and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves. The Blue Jackets extended their franchise record for consecutive wins to 12, the longest active win streak in the NHL.
Montreal's Al Montoya returned to the net after giving up all 10 goals the last time the teams met in Columbus. Montoya made 22 saves.
The Habs have now lost their last four games to the Jackets by a combined score of 22-5.
Columbus struck first on its second power play of the night 17:34 into the first period. Cam Atkinson fired a shot from the left circle and Nick Foligno gathered the rebound before feeding Gagner with a cross-crease pass for the score.
Gagner's goal was his 14th of the season. The secondary assist for Atkinson marked his 200th NHL point and moved his point streak to nine games.
Atkinson is the Jackets' points leader and the fourth Blue Jackets player to reach 200 points in franchise history.
Just 1:22 into the second period, the Jackets added a second goal. Foligno picked up his second assist of the night when he set up Saad with a pass from the slot. Saad tucked the puck past Montoya to make it 2-0.
The Canadiens controlled the third period. The Jackets' first shot on goal did not come until 12:43.
Montreal capitalized and halved the goal deficit 10:52 into the period. Jeff Petry snuck a shot between Bobrovsky and the post from low on the right side to make it 2-1.
The Canadiens played with an empty net for the final 1:30 but could not even the score.
With the win, the Blue Jackets remain in first place in the Metro Division and first in the NHL.
NOTES: G Al Montoya started for the Canadiens. It was his first game action since Dec. 16 when he relieved Carey Price in net, and his first start since Dec. 6. Montoya will look to avenge the 10-0 loss to the Blue Jackets on Nov. 4. ... The Blue Jackets hadn't lost in regulation since Nov. 23. ... Blue Jackets D Dalton Prout and D Scott Harrington were scratched. ... Montreal scratches were Alexei Emelin and Sven Andrighetto. ... Canadiens D Joel Hanley remained in the lineup for Emelin, who did not travel with the club after the birth of his daughter Thursday.