dailyloe.com – The Columbus Blue Jackets play the Montreal Canadiens tonight in a crucial late-season matchup. This is the Blue Jackets’ final road game of the season. The game starts at 7 PM at Centre Bell. Columbus needs to make up ground in the standings.
The Blue Jackets are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Goaltender Colten Ellis stopped all 37 Columbus shots. The Sabres’ goalie was named the game’s No. 1 star. The loss dealt a major blow to Columbus’s playoff hopes.
Despite the loss, the Blue Jackets generated many chances. They had edges in shot attempts and high-danger chances. Expected goals also favored Columbus at 5-on-5 play. Head coach Rick Bowness saw positives in the team’s performance.
“Listen, if we play like that again on Saturday, we’ll be fine,” Bowness said. He credited the opposing goalie for stealing the game. Bowness called the second period one of the team’s best all year. The team had nothing to show for its efforts on the scoreboard.
Columbus now has just three games remaining in the season. The Blue Jackets have 90 points in the standings. They sit two points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place. The New York Islanders are between them with 91 points.
Columbus also retains an outside shot at the final wild card spot. The Ottawa Senators currently hold that spot with 94 points. Ottawa plays the Islanders today. The playoff race remains extremely tight.
A victory in their last game would have moved Columbus up. It would have placed them third in the Metropolitan Division. That highlights the importance of every remaining game. Tonight’s contest in Montreal feels like a must-win.
The Blue Jackets enter the game with a 38-29-12 record. They are fifth in the Metropolitan Division. The Montreal Canadiens have a 47-22-10 record. Montreal is second in the Atlantic Division.
The game will be televised on the FanDuel Sports Network. Radio coverage is available on the CBJ radio network. Fans can listen on 97.1 The Fan or the CBJ app. The team looks to translate strong play into a better result.[]
Source: NHL.com
