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Kirill Marchenko scored with 2:12 left in regulation as part of a three-point night and Sean Monahan chipped in three points of his own as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 to go into the holiday break with a victory.
The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Dmitri Voronkov and Kent Johnson.
After Montreal cut into the lead early in the second period, Jordan Harris extended the lead to 3-1 with his first goal as a Blue Jacket. Harris was traded by Montreal to Columbus in the Patrik Laine trade in August.
The Canadiens would answer with two more goals to tie the game heading into the third and take the lead just 20 seconds into the final frame. The lead was short-lived, as Voronkov would get his second goal of the game (and 10th goal of the season) on the power play just over three minutes later to bring the game even at 4-4.
Jet Greaves made 27 saves on 31 shots, including back-to-back phenomenal saves on Kirby Dach in the third period to keep the game tied at 4-4 before Marchenko's eventual game-winner.
Here's how it all went down Monday night:
1st Period:
(12:03 — CBJ Goal): Voronkov puts the Blue Jackets on the board first. Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault turns it over trying to pay the puck and Voronkov ends up with in the corner. He gets it to Monahan and then moves towards the net. Monahan finds him skating into the slot and it's an easy goal for DV, his 9th of the season.
Dmitri Voronkov's 9th goal of the season starts with Habs goalie Montembeault having trouble taking care of the puck. Monahan ends up with it and gets a good look to DV for the 1-0 #CBJ lead. pic.twitter.com/pKxacxZ337
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 24, 2024
(18:45 — CBJ Goal): There's just over a minute left in the first period when Columbus expands their lead on what can only really be described as an early gift from Montreal's Montembeault. Werenski throws the puck at the net but it gets by Montembeault and ricochets off the post. Johnson is right there for the put-back to make it 2-0 Blue Jackets. Mathieu Olivier's secondary assist was his sixth of the season and was his 15th point of the season, tying a career high in 31 less games than the 66 it took for him to get 15 in the 2022-23 season.
Kent Johnson's 10th goal of the season makes it 2-0 #CBJ late in the first. Werenski just throws the puck at the Montreal net but it gets by Montembeault and ricochets off the post. KJ is right there to clean it up. pic.twitter.com/c4O01H4cBv
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 24, 2024
2nd Period:
(2:03 — MTL Goal): A little bit of puck-luck goes the way of the Canadiens to cut the lead in half. Cole Caufield's shot goes well wide and off the glass behind the Columbus net, but bounces right to David Savard in front of the net. The former Blue Jacket gets his first goal of the season on the put-back to cut into the lead and make it a 2-1 game.
(3:34 — CBJ Goal): How apropos that Jordan Harris' first goal as a Blue Jacket comes against the team that traded him. It all starts with great speed and hustle from Marchenko to avoid an icing call. He flips the puck into the slot in an effort to get it to either Monahan or Voronkov, both who were in the area. Voronkov misses the shot but Harris is right there to take the shot and fires it past Montembeault to restore Columbus' two-goal lead, this time 3-1. Marchenko gets the assist to make it six straight games with a point.
Jordan Harris' first goal as a #CBJ comes against the team that traded him. Marchenko with great hustle here to avoid an ice, and flips the puck into the slot. Harris ends up with it and fires it past Montembeault to make it a 3-1 (now 3-2) game.pic.twitter.com/oU2C5bymW4
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 24, 2024
(7:02 — MTL Goal): It's not a power play goal for the Canadiens, but it may as well have been. Voronkov was just making his way out of the box after a high-sticking call and was not yet able to get involved in the play when Lane Hutson gets his second of the season to cut into the lead again, this time making it 3-2.
(14:26 — MTL Goal): Columbus' 3-1 lead complete evaporates when Jake Evans scores his eighth of the season to tie it at 3-3. He slips past Harris and Jack Johnson to create a breakaway for himself and does not miss.
3rd Period
(0:20 — MTL Goal): Montreal's first lead of the night comes in the opening seconds of the third period when Joel Armia scores to put the Habs in front 4-3. They win the faceoff and never lose possession. Evans throws it in front of the net and Armia chips at the puck in the low slot to put it past Greaves.
(3:24 — CBJ Goal): Voronkov's second goal of the night is a power play goal and knots the game at 4-4. It doesn't take long here for the Columbus power play to strike: Johnson doesn't get a point for the assist but starts the sequence with a great keep-in to start the power play. All five players touch the puck in a span of eight seconds, with Voronkov masking Montembeault until the last second, when he gets out into the mid slot and shoots it past him. A great team power play effort.
The power play strikes in 14 seconds to tie it at 4-4. Voronkov's second goal of the night, Marchenko's second assist of the night.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 24, 2024
We're still 4-4 with 9:08 left in regulation. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/jlHJivLvuC
(5:52 — Jet!): Two chances for Montreal to regain the lead stopped at point-blank range from Greaves. Kirby Dach is the victim twice in short-order. It's impossible to know for sure, but these two saves likely gave the Blue Jackets at least one (and probably two) points.
A pair of elite saves from Greaves to keep the game 4-4. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/51VTr9RloT
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 24, 2024
(17:48 — CBJ Goal): Marchenko makes a wonderful individual effort and shoots it around Montreal's Mike Matheson to (eventually) secure two points for the Blue Jackets.
That sweet, sweet, game-winning goal from #86. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/IRwK1RENkR
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) December 24, 2024
| MTL | GAME STATS | CBJ |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | SHOTS | 32 |
| 53% | FACEOFFS | 47% |
| 0/2 | POWER PLAY | 1/3 |
| 2/3 | PENALTY KILL | 2/2 |
| 15 | HITS | 18 |
| 17 | GIVEAWAYS | 14 |
| 7 | TAKEAWAYS | 5 |
| 15 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 15 |
| ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS | ||
| 3.24 | EXPECTED GOALS | 3.88 |
| 65 | SHOT ATTEMPTS | 59 |
| 25 | SCORING CHANCES | 34 |
| 13 | HIGH-DANGER CHANCES | 14 |
| Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com | ||
Stat Chat:
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Denton Mateychuk was on the ice for 18:36 in his NHL debut, including 1:06 on the power play. "He was real good," said Evason. "We loved his composure ... he didn't look out of his place. He played key moments in that hockey game and conducted himself very well."
- Marchenko's three-point night gives him 37 points in 35 games. That's a pace of 87 points, which would tie Artemi Panarin's franchise record in the 2018-19 season.
Up Next:
The Blue Jackets get three days off for the holidays, then are back on Nationwide Arena ice Friday night to face the Boston Bruins for a 7 p.m. puck-drop. It's a home-and-home series, with Columbus then playing In Boston on Saturday night. Columbus won the first meeting of the season 5-1 on November 18th.
