Game Preview: Blue Jackets Head North Of The Border For The Final Time This Season For Battle Against Canadiens

MONTREAL CANADIENS

24-30-10 (58 pts; .453%) 7th, Atlantic Division ROSTER SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, MARCH 12 BELL CENTRE MONTREAL, QB, CA

TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play (Out of Market)

For the final time in the 2023-24 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets head to Canada when they battle the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

The Blue Jackets will need to avoid the rocky start they had Saturday, when they gave up the first 17 shots of the game to the Nashville Predators. They settled down a bit for the final two+ periods of play, but ultimately came up short in a 2-1 loss.

With Columbus playing significantly better hockey as of late, that should be a manageable task against the Canadiens, who are near the Blue Jackets in the standings in both wins (24, compared to Columbus' 22) and points (58, with the Blue Jackets at 54).

Here's what else to know when the Blue Jackets and Canadiens meet in Quebec:

TALKING POINTS: MTL

• Montreal is 1-2-2 over their last five games, most recently falling 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs at home Saturday. Don't blame the penalty killing unit, though. They allowed just one goal on 15 opposition opportunities during the five-game stretch. Like the Blue Jackets, the Canadiens' special teams have been woeful for long stretches of the season. It seems like both teams, at least on the PK, are making late-season progress.
   
• Montreal has announced that Cayden Primeau will be between the pipes Tuesday night. The 24-year-old is 5-6-2 in 13 starts this season, which makes up nearly half of his 30 career starts. The son of former NHL'er Keith Primeau, Cayden has a 3.04 goals against average and .901 save percentage this season. With the Canadiens dealing Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils last week at the NHL trade deadline, Primeau will see an increased role for the remainder of the season.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• If the Blue Jackets want to snap a streak that is nearing two full calendar years — winning three consecutive games — Tuesday night's game might be the beginning of their last good opportunity this season. Columbus returns home for games against the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks after Montreal. All three teams are bottom-seven in the NHL standings.
   
• With Justin Danforth out of the lineup indefinitely with a concussion, the Blue Jackets have called up Carson Meyer from Cleveland. Meyer skated along with Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier at Monday's practice. Here are the projected, subject-to-change lines for Tuesday's game: