| CBJ | MTL | |
|---|---|---|
| 18-14-4 | ROAD / HOME | 21-13-2 |
| 3.17 | GOALS FOR | 3.53 |
| 3.04 | GOALS AGAINST | 3.21 |
| 20.1% | POWER PLAY | 25.0% |
| 77.9% | PENALTY KILL | 76.3% |
| 29.8 | SHOTS FOR | 26.6 |
| 29.1 | SHOTS AGAINST | 27.7 |
| 50.5% | FACEOFF % | 51.1% |
| CANADIENS: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| THU, 3/19 | @ Red Wings | L, 3-1 |
| SAT, 3/21 | vs. Islanders | W, 7-3 |
| TUE, 3/24 | vs. Hurricanes | W, 5-2 |
| CANADIENS: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| GOALS | Cole Caufield | 44 |
| ASSISTS | Nick Suzuki | 62 |
| POINTS | Nick Suzuki | 86 |
| ODDS & PROJECTIONS | ||
| CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: | 47% | |
| CBJ ODDS PER DRAFTKINGS: | +102 | |
Up to second place in the Metropolitan division, the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-22-11, 87 points) end a three-game road trip Thursday night when they head north of the border to take on the Montreal Canadiens (39-21-10, 88 points).
It's another big game in the Eastern Conference playoff race, as the Canadiens are currently in third in the Atlantic Division but also tied for a wild card spot with the Boston Bruins.
While both currently are in possession of a playoff spot, even the smallest of skids could take either team out of the picture.
This is the second of three meetings between the teams, with the Blue Jackets winning a shootout in Columbus on Nov. 17 for a 4-3 win.
The two teams will meet again in the closing week of the season, also in Montreal.
Here are five things to know before the 7:00 p.m. puck-drop:
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The Canadiens have one of the better offenses in the league, ranking third in the NHL at 3.53 goals per game. A good chunk of that comes from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky. All three have a point in at least their last six games, and the trio has combined for 96 goals — nearly 40% of Montreal's total. ... The Habs power play is hot, with four goals in nine attempts over their last three games. ... The Canadiens should be well-rested for this one, having three of the last four nights off while being at home. ... Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis has paused announcing a starting goaltender (or any lineup changes) for the remainder of the season.
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As for the Blue Jackets, they have named a starter for this game: Jet Greaves, who will make his third consecutive start. Greaves has allowed three or less goals in five straight starts and two or less in four of those. The strong play as of late has lowered his goals against average to 2.57 for the season, to go with a .910 save percentage.
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With an assist Tuesday night, Adam Fantilli made it points in seven of his last eight games. He has three goals and six assist during that stretch. Fantilli's next point will be his 54th of the season and tie his career high, set last season. Of note: Mo has dramatically improved his faceoff percentage this season, going 49.7% at the dot so far, as compared to just 41.3% last season.
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Zach Werenski had a goal and assist Tuesday to boost his season total to 77 points (21 goals, 56 assists). With 11 games left, Werenski needs 11 points to break Artemi Panarin's club record of 87 points in a single season, which Breadman set during the 2018-19 campaign.
- The Blue Jackets have been riding a consistent lineup in recent games but have made a switch for this one: Miles Wood comes in for Kent Johnson, who will be a healthy scratch. Wood will be on the fourth line, with Danton Heinen getting the bump to play along Sean Monahan and Conor Garland on the second line. Here are the complete projections:
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Mason Marchment | 19 | Adam Fantilli | 86 | Kirill Marchenko |
| 43 | Danton Heinen | 23 | Sean Monahan | 83 | Conor Garland |
| 4 | Cole Sillinger | 3 | Charlie Coyle | 24 | Mathieu Olivier |
| 11 | Miles Wood | 38 | Boone Jenner | 21 | Isac Lundeström |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 78 | Damon Severson |
| 9 | Ivan Provorov | 15 | Dante Fabbro |
| 5 | Denton Mateychuk | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| Starting Goalie | Back-Up | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | Jet Greaves | 90 | Elvis Merzlikins |
