A pair of Max Pacioretty one-timers gives Montreal an early lead.

Despite his elite goalscoring abilities and All Star-caliber numbers, Max Pacioretty is not often recognized as one of the NHL's best players. Tonight, he's showing us why he deserves to be in that conversation.

The Montreal Canadiens winger scored twice in the opening period in Columbus -- each time from the right circle on a one-timer attempt. His efforts gave the Habs a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

Pacioretty has now lit the lamp 29 times this year and has 52 points overall. After a three-game goalless streak to start February, he's potted six in his last eight contests.

H/T Adam Gretz

The Habs lead by one goal heading into the third period.

Carey Price kept the Habs up 2-1 with an acrobatic save made with the calm of ninja. Price's true identity, a monomi, or one who sees, cannot be hidden for much longer as he is called upon to make impossible saves for his team.

Midway through the period the Blue Jackets had the edge in play having recorded 43 total shot attempts to the Habs 33. A powerplay given to the Habs on a Fedor Tyutin trip yielded no shots and the Blue Jackets were right back in the Habs' zone when their penalty expired exerting pressure. By the end of the period, the Blue Jackets had created 51 shot attempts against Carey Price's net during the game, while the Habs sputtered through the period to reach the 40 shot attempt mark, registering only 5 shots on goal during the second period.

Scoring Summary

Penalty Summary

Shots

Team Stats

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The Blue Jackets look to take revenge but the Canadiens deny them, yet again.

For our new readers and members, Top Six Minutes is a brief overview of the Habs game, and a continuation of the discussion threads usually happens in the comments. We try to keep it light and entertaining. Full recaps are up the morning after every game.

First Period

• I spy with my little eye, a Eller-Plekanec-Sekac first line. I'd forgotten what an actual first line would look like.
• Brendan Gallagher drew a penalty. Brendan Gallagher drew a penalty? Brendan Gallagher drew a penalty!
• MAX PACIORETTY WITH A PPG! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! WE HAVE A MONTREAL PP GOAL! Can we please have all of our power plays against Columbus from now on?
• Fun fact: Montreal has scored 1 powerplay goal over their last 18 powerplays. Max Pacioretty's snipe makes it 2 for 19.
• Gallagher giveth and Gallagher taketh away. Carey Price just taketh away.
• Max Pacioretty with another beauty, but Nathan Beaulieu's slick pass was the real star on that play!
• And damnit, someone just jinxed Carey.
• Woah, fight between Tinordi and who cares from Columbus. Good on him for defending Thomas but come on Tinner, we are pretty low on defensemen right now…so no more fighting for the time being, please?
• Another Montreal powerplay. Will lightning strike twice? Wait, did the Habs just send out Weise, DLR and Prust on the PP? So, no then.
• Strange fact: Galchenyuk scored 2 goals, the Habs lost that game. Gallagher scored 2 goals, the Habs lost that game. Pacioretty just scored 2 goals and I really hope this trend doesn't hold.

Second Period

• Don Cherry knows his looney tunes. I promise you, I'm not making this up.
• Jarred Tinordi returns wearing a face guard.
• The Blue Jackets seem to be the only team in the NHL who love their stretch passes more than the Canadiens.
• Tripping call on Eller. He just earned himself a one way ticket to the coach's doghouse.
• Price…no Subban…no Price and Subban, robbing Columbus of a goal! Then the crossbar robs Columbus of a goal!
• I'm jealous of Columbus's powerplay set up. Look at what you've done to me, coach who runs Montreal's powerplay!
• I as wrote that, Sekac drew a penalty and the Habs will try to score yet another incredibly elusive powerplay goal.
• Montreal's power plays are *insert any synonym for atrocious*.
• Holy geez, that puck hit BOTH posts and stayed out. Not going to lie, that gave me a mini heart attack.
• Finally, the second period comes to an end.

Third Period

• Gallagher cuts in with a glorious opportunity only to be denied by McElhinney.
• No Gonchar? No problem. Nathan Beaulieu continues to look dominant in this game.
• PK Subban just tried to hug Nick Foligno away from Price and it worked!
• Did Malhotra just try to fight someone?
• Penalty against the Habs but they manage to kill it off.
• We have another fight involving another Hab Bulldog, as Thomas and Calvert go at it. Both of them leave with bloody noses.
• Well at least, one guy enjoyed that fight. 

  @cpt27#FLOYD

  — Alex galchenyuk (@AGally94) February 22, 2015

• Sekac has Gallagher's syndrome, as he ends up in the back of Columbus's net.
• Beaulieu displaying flashes of Subban. This kid is looking sooo good.
• All of a sudden the Blue Jackets have opened a shooting gallery in Montreal's zone.
• Stupid delay of game penalties. Montreal on the penalty kill with two minutes to go in the period.
• Doesn't matter, had Pleks. Who needs powerplays when we can have penalty kills, am I right Habs?
• And there you have it folks, the Montreal Bulldogs win 3-1!

EOTP 3 Stars

3. To be fair, it was a great gif

2. Like, a really good gif

1. Seriously, look at this

Highlights

• Max Pacioretty's first of the night
• Max Pacioretty's second snipe

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Playing their third game in four nights, the Canadiens looked to add two points.

For the first time in the last three games, Montreal maintained a full complement of six defencemen throughout the game.  Injuries to Alexei Emelin and Sergei Gonchar have led to call-ups for Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn.  With Michel Therrien not wanting to place too much of a burden on his rookies, the load has fallen mostly on the shoulders of P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov in recent games.

Image credit: HockeyStats.ca

In games on Wednesday and Thursday versus Ottawa and Florida, a portion of that responsibility was handed to Nathan Beaulieu with just under 24 minutes in each game.  Last night, Beaulieu once again got close to that 24-minute mark as Michel Therrien has consistently been placing his trust in the 22-year-old.

Beaulieu responded to his increased role with one of his best performances as an NHL defenceman.

A Subbanian rush up the ice in the first saw Beaulieu weaving through defenders into the offensive zone while his teammates (like they do with Subban on his open ice jaunts) watched his moves rather than getting into position to take a pass.  The play ended without much offensive danger, but set the tone for what was to come.

Max Pacioretty got the scoring started with the man advantage, snapping a Markov pass to the far-side top-corner on goaltender Curtis McElhinney.  Brendan Gallagher was credited with the second assist on his drawn powerplay.

About 10 minutes later, Beaulieu moved the puck down the wall, patiently waiting for a lane to open up before launching a perfect cross-ice pass, which Pacioretty converted into his second goal of the period and 29th of the season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets responded a minute later, taking advantage of a defensive zone breakdown from the over-worked duo of Subban and Markov.  Artem Anisimov skated around Markov to get the puck to the net, while  Nick Foligno was uncontested in his charge toward the goal, with the All-Star captain getting just enough of the puck to get the Jackets on the board.

Subban and Markov finished their third game in four nights with unspectacular shot-attempts-for percentages of 31% and 30%, respectively.  While Subban's minutes were still a game-high total of over 26 minutes, Markov's ice-time was dropped to a more reasonable 22 from the previous games of over 28.

Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn fared quite well in their minutes, finishing with positive shot-attempt differentials, boosted by an early second period flurry of activity in Columbus' zone.  The duo looked less antsy than they had on Thursday when they had overestimated the speed of the game and were distributing the puck too quickly once they had possession.  The much more calm pairing did not look out of place in limited usage against a team desperate to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Without the energy necessary to maintain the pace that had been established in the first, the game plan shifted to trying to pin the puck along the end boards of the offensive zone.  The Blue Jackets were having none of that, forcefully knocking the forwards into the boards and off the puck to take it back into Montreal's end.  The failed strategy resulted in just five shots for the Canadiens in the middle frame and 12 for the visiting squad.

Carey Price was able to repel all of those he faced, with a little help from Subban on one occasion:

Fewer shots were allowed in the third, although the Habs were still outshot 9-6 while trying to hold onto their one-goal lead.  Some lucky bounces — one partially stopped by Price before hitting the crossbar, another going off both posts and out — helped to maintain the slim margin until Tomas Plekanec could break in short-handed on a deserted Blue Jackets net to give his team some breathing room with 50 seconds to play, securing a 3-1 victory.

Lars Eller

Eller played the match as a player with zero confidence in his game.  The aggressive centre from last year's playoff run and the beginning of this season has been replaced with a passive winger who defaults to taking the puck along to the boards rather than driving to the middle of the ice.  He looks to be afraid to make mistakes and therefore doesn't attempt to take the risk required to create a quality offensive chance.

The criticism he has received about his recent lack of scoring, combined with his shift to the wing, seems to have been taken as an indictment of his entire game, and he looks completely miserable at the end of his shifts.

For those who need to be reminded of the player Lars Eller can be, here is a glimpse of a more confident time: his third consecutive game-winning goal, from November 13th versus the Boston Bruins.

The Canadiens will have a rematch of last night's game on Thursday night in Columbus.  They will get a much-needed two-day break to rest their weary blueliners before their next game that splits up the home-and-home series: a Tuesday night meeting in Missouri against Vladimir Tarasenko and his St. Louis Blues.

It's fair to say that when John Davidson, Jarmo Kekalainen, and Todd Richards talked this offseason about the plans for the 2014-2015 season, they expected this team to be a buyer when March 2nd rolled around.

The storm of injuries, illnesses, and just plain weird accidents around this team dashed that hope almost before the season began, and though the club has put up a pretty respectable fight, all things considered, it's pretty clear that they'll be one of the teams moving assets out, not loading up for a postseason blitz.

That leads to the next problem: What (or perhaps more properly, who) would they consider a moveable asset?

There's a pretty clear core here - and honestly, aside from incredibly horrid luck, no good reason to break them up. This is a team that showed they could make some pretty big noise when healthy, and during the brief period where 90% of the team was actually on the ice, they made December something special to watch. Barring a truly stunning offer, why tamper with that?

That doesn't leave a lot of "wiggle" room, but there's still a few players who might be interesting to another club, particularly for the right price.

Up Front

Cam Atkinson - Might as well start with the most controversial one. Up front, I will say that I am a big fan of Cam Atkinson. When he's on, he's got great speed, beautiful hands, and a real gift for finding a path through defenders. But the problem is that when he isn't on, he disappears. His size makes it difficult to be a physical impact player, and it's all too easy for him to appear "lost" or "floating" when he isn't feeling confident.

An RFA at the end of this season, Atkinson can point to his 40 point season last year to justify a raise from his $1.175 million salary, but I suspect the Jackets are also looking at the 14 and 18 point seasons which preceded it. This season isn't as sharp of a regression - he's on pace for a 30 point season right now - but it's still a step back. With guys like Wennberg, Dano, Rychel, and Milano in the pipeline, there's options  to replace him in the lineup as a scoring winger, and a team looking to add a little speed and punch might find him interesting.

Is he guaranteed to move? No. But it certainly wouldn't shock me if we saw him involved in a deadline deal.

Jack Skille - I know at least one fan who is going to be very angry with me for suggesting that Skille's on the block, but as a pending UFA, he's in some pretty serious limbo right now.

Last season, Skille had some great chemistry when he joined the team as a waiver pickup, and seemed to mesh perfectly into the playoff bound machine. When he left, it was because the team couldn't guarantee him an NHL level spot, and it's no small irony that after the Islanders sent him back down to waivers, the Jackets were able to give him that NHL spot because of their injury ridden start to the season.

At first, it seemed like Jack had stepped right back in where he left off, contributing goals on the third line and moving up into a top six role periodically when needed. But as the team's gotten healthier, his role was reduced. His own injuries put him on the shelf, and since he's returned to the roster, the coaching staff hasn't given him much ice time.

I think Skille likes Columbus a lot, and I think the feeling is mutual, but the combination of depth and established players seem to be working against him for the second year in a row. He's inexpensive and has some clear value - a team looking to bolster their bottom six for cheap might well be giving him a look.

Artem Anisimov - If the team does a "blockbuster" move, Arty might be one of the pieces. Even though he's signed for another year at $4 million, he's a player who has struggled a lot this season even before being bit by the injury bug, and it was reported earlier this season that a deal was all but done that would have sent him to the Oilers.

I'm not sure the team can ask for a lot for a guy who has missed over half the season, but on the other hand it's not too hard to package him as an attractive player who might just need a change of scenery. With his scoring percentage depressed way below normal (currently .083, according to NHL Numbers, while his average over the previous 5 regular seasons is up at .122), he's due to bounce back in a big way, and he's still a great faceoff man who can be extremely dangerous on the PK.  If the club is still unhappy with his performance after coming back to the lineup over the next few weeks, it might be best for both sides to part ways, and see if he can recapture his form elsewhere.

Mark Letestu - I have to say that Letestu is the guy I think is least likely out of these four forwards to be moved, but at the same time he might have some of the greatest value.

Even though I suspect the team does consider him part of their "core", he's a UFA at the end of the season and an incredibly versatile, responsible guy who could be re-signed at a very cap-friendly number - quite important, that last bit, since the cap is likely to stay in the $71-72 million range next season thanks to the Canadian Dollar taking a bath. I have a hard time believing that other teams wouldn't be asking about Mr. Test Tube - particularly if they think he can put another 30+ point season together if he stays healthy.

There are other possibilities up front - Brian Gibbons, if he gets healthy, could be a nice "depth" pickup, and I could see a team kicking the tires on Jeremy Morin, but they have to get off the shelf first. Much as I'd love to see another team want some "toughness" by picking up Jared Boll or Corey Tropp, I just don't see it. The front office seems to love both of them, so I guess we'll continue carrying $2.5 million in dead cap space for the forseeable future.

Another pending RFA is Matt Calvert, but much like Letestu, I think he's considered a "core" guy, and unlike Atkinson, he's been pretty much what the team expected, when healthy. He's a 10-12 goal, 10-12 assist kind of guy, who finds a bit opportunity here and there, and otherwise spends his time driving the other team nuts...and that's exactly what he's done to date. I can't see the team moving him unless someone really wants to overpay.

The Logjam

With the return of Ryan Murray to the lineup, the Jackets are back to carrying 9 NHL quality defensemen on the active roster. Now, admittedly, they're flipping one or two around to play at forward right now to help both ease the sting of injuries and the pile up at the back end, but that's still leaving someone eating popcorn every night. I've no doubt the team has been exploring trade options rather than risk losing someone for nothing via waivers, but those kind of deals almost always hang fire until the deadline unless someone really gets into an injury crunch.

The Jackets only have two pending free agents on the blue line, so that's probably the place to start.

Cody Goloubef - Goldbeef hasn't really stood out this season...but he hasn't been a big headache, either. The very definition of a workmanlike player, he goes on the ice when he gets the opportunity and generally does a good job of keeping his opponents in check. He doesn't really excel at anything, but he's a nice option if you're looking to pick up a #6/7 guy. The fact that he's an RFA only signed for $625,000 right now doesn't hurt either - if you wanted to bring him back after the trial run, he's quite affordable!

Jordan Leopold - Honestly, I don't quite know what to think about Mr. Leopold. He's a veteran player with a lot of good experience, and I think at times he's been a steadying force for the entire back end. But since Fedor Tyutin returned, Leopold hasn't seen much ice time at all, and he's arguably a guy who isn't expected to contribute much beyond that veteran presence. That $2.25 million cap hit may scare off a few teams, but on the other hand it's only for the remainder of the season, since he's a pending UFA. I could see a younger team wanting someone who has been there and done that, and Leopold does bring a fair amount of playoff experience to the table.

Dalton Prout - On the one hand, Prout is a young, physical D-man who isn't afraid to lay a big hit or drop the gloves when his team needs something to change the momentum of a game. On the other, he's been really struggling at actually playing defense this season, which is a bit of a problem. Much like Goloubef, Prout has a very cap friendly contract, with the bonus of being signed for another season before becoming an RFA. The playoffs can be a very good time to be a hard hitting physical d-man, and it's not unusual to hear a GM say he wants "a little more toughness" going into deadline day.

Fedor Tyutin - While he's not the veteran D-man a lot of people keep expecting to see traded (sorry, Jack!), he is a player who could appeal to a lot of teams if presented properly.

For the last four years, Tyutin has been a model of consistency, but even before he suffered a broken leg back in November, he was having trouble getting himself into gear. With Tyutin signed for another three years, that's concerning if you're Jarmo. Maybe you suggest that a change of scenery would revitalize his game, much as the move from New York to Columbus helped him break through? After all, he's been a pretty consistent 20-30 point, first or second pairing guy, a two time Olympian, and owns that big left handed shot. Maybe this is just a down year, compounded by a freak injury that he needed more time to recover from than the team expected. With the right circumstances and a different defensive partner, it wouldn't be shocking to see him turn it around...though that could just as easily be a reason for Columbus to ride this rough patch out.

David Savard and Kevin Connauton are likely generating phone calls, too, but I don't see them going. Savard stepped up his game a lot over the last two years, and his ceiling seems higher than a lot of people thought when he was drafted. Meanwhile, K.C. has been a fantastic waiver pickup, and I can't see the team letting him go - he's been a natural fit for the club, and one of the bigger silver linings to come out of this season.

The only other player who might be of interest at the deadline depends a lot on how Sergei Bobrovsky's recovery is doing.

As Anton Forsberg has proven that he's ready to take on an NHL backup role, it makes Curis McElhinney a potential commodity. Now, if Bob isn't ready to come back by early March, or if the team doesn't want to take chances with his recovery, I suspect C-Mac will stay right where he is.

On the other hand, if the team feels comfortable rolling with Bob and Forsberg going forward, there's a certain scarcity on the market when it comes to veteran backups, and even though I'm not sure C-Mac is going to be the best available, he's at least an option, particularly for a team that's feeling a lack of depth behind their starter. (Looking at you, Nashville...)

This is all tea leaves and speculation, but this time of year, there's plenty of that to go around, and these at least seem a little more likely than, say, Jack Johnson for Taylor Hall.

Think we're on to something? Think we're crazy? Let us know what you think!

The Jackets' brutal stretch of games continues, as they turn right around and face another tough test in the Big Apple.

Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers

February 22, 2015 - 7:30 pm EST
Madison Square Garden - New York, New York
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Blueshirt Banter

Guh. I thought the Jackets played pretty well last night. But, once you spot a defensively amazing team like Montreal a lead, you're basically pissing into the wind trying to come back. The let-down of giving up an empty-net shorty while up 6-on-4 was about the most fitting way for that game to end.

As for tonight, who knows what to expect? I'm done trying to prognosticate. This team plays well when I don't expect them to, and craps out when I expect them to play well. So, I've got nothing. It's like in golf, when you have no idea what club to hit, you break out the range finder to see exactly how far away from the green you are. And then you pick your club.

And then you shank it into the woods.

No morning skate today, so this is just a guess (i.e., repeat of last night).

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(26-28-3, 55 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

New York Rangers
(35-16-6, 76 Points; 2nd Division, 4th Conference)

Season Series

NYR - 1-1-0
CBJ - 1-1-0

10/11/14 - Rangers 2 at Columbus 5
01/16/15 - Rangers 2 at Columbus 1
02/22/15 - Columbus at New York
04/06/15 - Columbus at New York

Head to Head Stats

The Jackets' brutal stretch of games continues, as they turn right around and face another tough test in the Big Apple.

Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers

February 22, 2015 - 7:30 pm EST
Madison Square Garden - New York, New York
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Blueshirt Banter

Guh. I thought the Jackets played pretty well last night. But, once you spot a defensively amazing team like Montreal a lead, you're basically pissing into the wind trying to come back. The let-down of giving up an empty-net shorty while up 6-on-4 was about the most fitting way for that game to end.

As for tonight, who knows what to expect? I'm done trying to prognosticate. This team plays well when I don't expect them to, and craps out when I expect them to play well. So, I've got nothing. It's like in golf, when you have no idea what club to hit, you break out the range finder to see exactly how far away from the green you are. And then you pick your club.

And then you shank it into the woods.

No morning skate today, so this is just a guess (i.e., repeat of last night).

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(26-28-3, 55 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

New York Rangers
(35-16-6, 76 Points; 2nd Division, 4th Conference)

Season Series

NYR - 1-1-0
CBJ - 1-1-0

10/11/14 - Rangers 2 at Columbus 5
01/16/15 - Rangers 2 at Columbus 1
02/22/15 - Columbus at New York
04/06/15 - Columbus at New York

Head to Head Stats

Through sheer tenacity and some very hard work by Artem Anisimov and Marko Dano, the Blue Jackets dug themselves out of a 3-0 hole to force OT and a shootout, but a bad bounce and a good pokecheck would see them fall 4-3 in the shootout.

The Blue Jackets faced their fourth game in six days on the road tonight, and it didn't start well at all.

With the team arriving from Montreal well after 2am last night, and the MSG staff needing to convert the arena floor from basketball parquet to hockey ice, the club announced that there would be no pre-game skate.

Instead, the club held a brief media availability later in the afternoon, where head coach Todd Richards surprised basically everyone by saying that James Wisniewski would be a healthy scratch, while Jordan Leopold rotated in. With speculation on the decision buzzing around the interwebs (a trade? A wake up call? An undisclosed injury or illness? All of the above?), the team took the ice to face a rested and ready Rangers team.

At first, the Jackets were able to keep pace with the Rangers, even drawing an early power play thanks to Nick Foligno's hustle...but the lack of their normal PP quarterback became a clear weakness early in the man advantage, with the Rangers constantly exploiting the lack of familiarity along the blue line to ice the puck or take shorthanded attacks up on Curtis McElhinney.

Riding the momentum from the kill, the Rangers pushed the Blue Jackets back into their own zone, and it wasn't long before they got the opportunity they needed when Carl Hagelin prevented a clearing attempt by swatting the puck out of the air and passing it back to Kevin Hayes, who walked straight up the middle before firing a shot right past McElhinney for the opening goal.

1-0 Rangers: Kevin Hayes (11) from Hagelin (14) @ 05:57

That goal fired up the Rangers bench, and suddenly it was very clear which team had been resting up on Saturday night, and which team was playing on drained batteries. The Blue Jackets found themselves constantly chasing the puck, and it wasn't long before the onslaught paid off once again.

Martin St. Louis did most of the work on this one, starting the initial entry into the zone before getting it deep to Derek Stepan, then curling around the back of the net to wait like an ambush spider at the side of the crease. Stepan fired a pass across the blue paint, and St. Louis was popping it into the net before the defense even realized he was there.

2-0 Rangers: Martin St. Louis (17) from Stepan (31) and Staal (12) @ 08:06

The Rangers had all the momentum, and despite Columbus drawing another (powerless) man advantage during the frame, the only reason they got out of the period was Curtis McElhinney standing on his head for the rest of the frame.

The second period initially seemed like it was going to be more of the same - particularly when Martin St. Louis capped off an odd man rush  by himself, Stepan, and Ryan McDonagh by once again shaking his defenders and getting to the side of the net for a wide open shot.

3-0 Rangers: St. Louis (18) from McDonagh (16) and Stepan (32) @ 01:24

Just as hands reached for the remote all over the Columbus Metropolitan Area....something happened.

The line of Nick Foligno, Marko Dano, and Artem Anisimov went over the boards, and they started moving the puck. They held possession in the offensive zone. They pushed their way to the net...and after a nice keep in from Fedor Tyutin, Foligno was able to wire the puck to Dano, who beat Cam Talbot for his second NHL goal. (And if you're keeping track, he happened to score goal #1 against...the New York Rangers! Symmetry!)

3-1 Rangers: Marko Dano (2) from Foligno (31) and Tyutin (9) @ 02:47

Things were a bit of a seesaw from there, but there was a clear sense that the Blue Jackets were finally engaged and in the game. Passes started hitting. Shots started coming. Admittedly, penalties also started to be taken, but the PK stood up (with more than a little help from their goaltender), and there was a sense that the ice might just be starting to tilt their way.

Late in the period, the Anisimov - Foligno - Dano line was back out and driving to the net, and from a massive scrum in front of Talbot came the sight of Anisimov dropping his stick and celebrating as the red light behind the net suddenly popped on.

3-2 Rangers: Artem Anisimov (4) from Dano (3) @ 18:11

That goal was massive - and it gave the team a clear beacon of hope.

It wasn't long before the team hit the ice for the third period, and they came out with intent. The Rangers did a good job of trying to keep the Jackets away from Talbot as much as possible, but they were still working hard to attack. New York had opportunities at the other end of the ice, but they didn't amount to much...except for one, which amounted to Rick Nashtrying to skate through C-Mac, earning himself a goalie interference penalty for his trouble.

That power play did not bear fruit, but even as the clock ticked down the Blue Jackets didn't give up. Instead, they just found ways to keep attacking, until once again the Foligno line came up trumps.

Keeping possession going for a long shift in the Rangers end, Foligno and Anisimov worked the puck around to the far wall before Arty sent the puck over to David Savard at the point, who slid away from the covering winger before blasting a shot into traffic...and into the back of the net.

3-3 TIE: David Savard (9) from Anisimov (9) and Foligno (32) @ 15:41

Having roared all the way back, the Jackets did their damnedest to end it in regulation, including an excellent attack from Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky in the waning moments of the frame, but this game was headed to extra time.

With both teams getting a point, it looked dicey when Fedor Tyutin was called for a...shall we say "Oscar Worthy?" hooking call on St. Louis, but the PK was spectacular despite the 4 on 3 deficit, with Anisimov and Foligno both taking short handed chances that nearly ended the game in OT, and rode that momentum through the final minutes of extra time, including a insanely beautiful spin move by Arty that went heartbreakingly wide of the net - a shame, as it would have been a fitting ending for the guy who had worked so hard to put the game on his back.

No, instead of more dramatic and frankly excellent 4 on 4 OT play, we headed to the skills competition...and it wasn't a fun day at the office.

St. Louis would shoot first for the Rangers and score on a fluky shot that he didn't seem to quite hit right, but managed to knuckle past C-Mac anyway.

Letestu answered with a brutally direct attack to keep things even, and McElhinney would get a little lucky when J.T. Miller put his shot off the post.

Ryan Johansen used his trademarked "Slow knife" shootout move, and appeared to beat Talbot with his shot, but the puck bounced off the crossbar and went out rather than tucking into the net, so it meant that things were still tied up going into the third round.

Rick Nash (of course!) powered in and put the Rangers ahead, leaving Cam Atkinson with the Blue Jackets' lives on his stick.

He made a good move to cut in on Talbot for a similar shot as Letestu, but Talbot was a little more on the ball, and made a stretching poke-check to knock it away, securing the victory for the Rangers.

FINAL - 4-3 Rangers (SO)

On the one hand, just digging out of the 3-0 hole was damned impressive, and the point earned means that the club took five points out of 10 for the road trip - pretty decent considering their situation.

On the other, it's ridiculous that they were in that 3-0 hole to begin with, and having managed to get themselves back to life, it's frustrating that they couldn't finish the deal - particularly with the kind of game that Dano and Anisimov had tonight. That was one hell of an effort, and they deserved more success.

Coach Richards confirmed in his post game presser that Wisniewski's scratch was "peformance related." You're going to get a lot of arguments from people who point to his stats and say that's a bad decision, and people who say his play hasn't been "passing the eye test" for the last few games, and agree with the call.

I'm OK with saying that Wiz had a couple of bad games on this trip. But I cannot help but wonder if he might have made a difference in this one - particularly on special teams.

Still, this game is in the books, and all the "what ifs" won't change that.

Instead, let's hope that when the team hits the ice against Buffalo on Tuesday they've got an effort that matches what we saw in the third period and OT, and that the flat starts we saw against Montreal and New York will be a thing of the past.

After the Winnipeg Jets pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Sabres, a trade that sent Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane and Jason Kasdorf to Buffalo in exchange for Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a first round draft pick, Kevin Cheveldayoff must continue to push forward.

Jets fans are begging for a trade that will benefit the team on their quest for the playoffs and one must assume Kevin Cheveldayoff is on the same page. TSN's talking heads have suggested that Chevy is looking to add a top nine forward, but they wont' mortgage the future to accomplish that. The Jets are currently carrying nine defensemen. This can create problems. There is no room to carry extra forwards, this problem has been exacerbated by sub par play in the bottom six.

Factor in the recent news of Mathieu Perreault being out for about 6-7 weeks and an already thin Winnipeg Jets forward core becomes thinner. Playoff hope have taken a hit. Acquiring a player that could slot into the Jets top nine would be a big boost and could perhaps be done via trade without giving up a first round pick, a top prospect or any other major assets.

Here are three Winnipeg Jets Trade Targets..

Daniel Winnik

Winnik's name has been flying trough trade rumors - along with almost every member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Jets have been linked to Winnik for some time. After failing to sign him in the offseason, they can still get their man if they meet Toronto's trade demands.

According to TSN's Pierre Lebrun, the Leafs asking price for Winnik is a second and a third-round pick or a second round pick and a prospect. Is he worth it? Would Jets' General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff part with those kind of assets for a bottom six forward? It probably depends how badly the Jets want to win this season. Though it is unlikely the Jets would part with a prospect for a rental, they could be willing to give up a second and third round pick. They acquired a second first round pick in the Buffalo blockbuster, so giving up a second would not be a shattering move. Winnik would be a nice fit in the Jets bottom six.

Winnik is a versatile forward that brings a good defensive component to his game.

Sean Bergenheim

While the Florida Panthers are in search of a depth defenceman, the Jets need help to plug the holes up front. The two teams could address each others needs in a trade. The Jets have defencesmen Paul Postma, Adam Pardy and Jay Harrison sitting in the press box, while the Panthers have Sean Bergenheim in and out of the lineup. The 31 year old forward has seen his name circulate in trade rumors for quite some time.

Bergenheim is a good skater and all around winger. He loves to shoot the puck and he has good possession stats. He could be slotted in the Jets' top six or top nine and he'd probably fitquite well.

Matt Calvert

Calvert would be a very smart pickup for the Winnipeg Jets, for a variety of reasons. The Brandon, Manitoba native posses a variety of skills that make him quite attractive. Calvert can kill penalties, score goals, go in the dirty areas to provide offence and he possesses some strong hockey sense.

Calvert would also come as more than a rental for the Jets. He will be a RFA at the end of the season and he could be fit for the long term.Calvert is also the youngest of this bunch and at 25 years of age he still has time to grow his game. According to Gary Lawless of the WInnipeg Free Press, the asking price for Matt Calvert is a second round pick along with a prospect or a depth forward. Chevy may hesitate to give up a prospect, but he'd probably jump if he could send a second round pick and someone like TJ Galiardi to the Blue Jackets. If he goes the prospect route, there might be some more thought involved.

Calvert could be a good invest for the Jets for their playoff push, and for the long run.

While the Jets continue with their draft and develop model, they are going to have to face a harsh reality that they can't keep every prospect. If it takes a prospect or two to get one of these players, they might have to do it. The Jets will increase their playoff odds if they make the necessary trades.

The Jets needed a top nine forward before Mathieu Perreault was injured, with one more man down, the need becomes bigger. The ball is in your court, Chevy.

Jim Benning has to keep the future in mind while wheeling and dealing at this year's trade deadline.

This is not the Canuck’s year. I think most of us can agree that the Holy Grail, barring some Godsend, will not be making its way to Vancouver in June. That is not to say that the Canucks are not a good team. They are a good team, a very good team, in fact. It is well known that Jim Benning craves a top-6 winger; he made an honest push for Evander Kane back in December. If the Canucks really thought that this was their year, they would’ve shipped off a big package centered around Bo Horvat for a big name winger. I am of the belief that the Canucks need another year or two under Jim Benning’s steady hand before they are ready to return to primetime.

With all that said, there are some small trades that could benefit the Canucks in the short and long-term. Some possible names include Artem Anisimov, Patrick Wiercioch, and Victor Rask.

Artem Anisimov, formerly of the New York Rangers, is currently playing on the third line for the middling Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets look like they’ll be sellers this year so Anisimov might be up for grabs. As most of you might already know, I am a fancy stats fanatic. I think that they are the future of the game. Anisimov fits perfectly into the category of a positive fancy stats player. While he has been sidelined this season with a concussion and a torn triceps, Anisimov has a positive CF% at 51.4% with 13 points through 28 games. Additionally, he is signed at 3.28 million through the end of next season so he is not simply a one season rental. Delving even deeper, Anisimov has a CF60RelTM of 9.12, the highest on the team. For those who do not what this statistic is, it stands for Corsi for per 60 min relative to teammates. As puckalytics.com says, "One could consider TM statistics an expected value for the player if the player had no (positive or negative) influence on his teammates results when he plays with them." Additionally, Anisimov’s CA60RelTM is -4.06, which is spectacular. His overall CF%RelTM is 6.2, good for 3^rd on the Canucks. Obviously, using fancy stats, Anisimov would be a spectacular, albeit expensive, pickup for the Canucks.

Victor Rask is a 21-year-old center playing for the cellar dweller Carolina Hurricanes. While one would think that a 21-year-old center with size would be untouchable, Ron Francis, GM of the ‘Canes, has essentially stated that no one is off limits except the Staals, Elias Lindholm, and Justin Faulk. Rask carries an extremely cheap entry level deal through the end of the 2015-2016 season, at which time he becomes a restricted free agent. Again, this is not your typical rental. While he would solidify the current bottom-6, he is a player that Jim Benning can also potentially factor into his long-term plans. Rask, like Anisimov, is a fancy stats lover’s kind of guy. Playing on a miserable team, Rask has a 52.8CF%, which means that he possesses the puck often and gets shots on net, something the Canucks could use a little more of. Rask would be an under-the-radar pickup for the ‘Nucks, but a pickup that could pay dividends down the road.

Finally, I think it is essential that Jim Benning makes a push for Patrick Wiercioch. He is a possession monster, the Canucks are thin at defense, and he would be a relatively cheap pickup. With 6 points through 32 games, Weircioch is not an offensive dynamo, but he has spent some time on the Sens’ second powerplay unit. With that being said, Wiercioch is a possession animal. His CF% is 56.5%, higher than any other Senator, including former Norris Trophy winning d-man Erik Karlsson. More impressively, Wiercioch’s CF%RelTM is 7.7%, or about 2% higher than other Senator! With all this being said, Wiercioch is still a relatively undervalued player and probably could be had for a second or third-round pick, which is fantastic value for a player with his kind of possession statistics.

There are many players that Benning could bring in. He could swing for the fences and snag Phil Kessel from the sagging Maple Leafs. Who knows? However, the three aforementioned players are realistic, relatively cheap options that would benefit our dear ‘Nucks both in the short-term and the long-term.

Is Columbus ready to move its highest-paid defenseman?

If reports are to be believed, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be preparing to trade their highest-scoring defenseman before the trade deadline.

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Post-Dispatch reported on Monday night that the Jackets are shopping defenseman James Wisniewski in an effort to move him before the NHL trade deadline on March 2.

Such a move would divorce Columbus from its best offensive blueliner with just a few weeks left in the regular season. Wisniewski leads all Jackets defensemen this season with seven goals and 20 assists in 52 games.

More pressing, however, is the issue of finding a suitor for Wisniewski's salary. The 31-year-old defenseman costs $5.5 million against the cap this season so Columbus will be hard-pressed to find fair value for him in the next seven days. That said, his contract does diminish to $5 million next year and $3 million the year after that.

As of Monday, the Blue Jackets sit nine points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just 24 games remaining.

The Sabres travel to Columbus, but which young defensemen will be in the lineup tonight?

Game #61

Buffalo Sabres (17-38-5) at
Columbus Blue Jackets (26-28-4)

Two Questions

1. Will Zadorov return to the lineup, or have to wait?

The young defenseman came out with a nice apology for his suspension, but Ted Nolan said he was happy with how his defenders played against Nashville. Will Zadorov return to his pairing with Rasmus Ristolainen, or will Nolan stick with the pairings that held the Predators scoreless for 55 minutes?

2. When will Michal Neuvirth's hot streak end?

Over his last five games, Neuvirth has a save percentage upwards of .950. That won't last forever, and Nolan said yesterday, "We're going to ride that horse until we see some tiredness come in." It's Neuvirth's sixth game in a row - will tonight be the night?

Projected BUF lines

Stewart - Girgensons - Ennis
Moulson - Mitchell - Gionta
Foligno - Flynn - Deslauriers
Hodgson - Ellis - Larsson

Benoit - Bogosian
McCabe - Ristolainen
Pysyk - Meszaros

Goal:Michal Neuvirth

Will this game make a sound?

Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 24, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Die By The Blade

Boy, there isn't much to get fired up about with respect to this matchup. Give the Sabres credit, though: despite the huge talent gap, they haven't packed it in, taking a tough Nashville team to OT the other night. If the Jackets expect these guys to roll over, they are in for a rude awakening.

That said, if Columbus still believes that they have playoff chances, they must come out and dominate this game. They've shown the ability to play with the best teams in the east on this road trip--even if only for chunks of games--but they can ill afford a slow start again tonight. Don't even give the young Sabes any hope.

Anton Forsberg gets the start tonight, and James Wisniewski is back in the lineup. Brandon Dubinsky missed morning skate due to illness, but is expected to play tonight.

Remember: this is similar to the Sabres team that ended the Jackets eight-game winning streak last season. Don't expect to just chalk this up as a win. It has the potential to be a nightmare let-down.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(26-28-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Buffalo Sabres
(17-38-5, 39 Points; 8th Division, 16th Conference)

Season Series

BUF - 0-1-0
CBJ - 1-0-0

10/09/14 - Columbus 3 at Buffalo 1
02/24/15 - Buffalo at Columbus
04/10/15 - Buffalo at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

Will this game make a sound?

Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets

February 24, 2015 - 7:00 pm EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Die By The Blade

Boy, there isn't much to get fired up about with respect to this matchup. Give the Sabres credit, though: despite the huge talent gap, they haven't packed it in, taking a tough Nashville team to OT the other night. If the Jackets expect these guys to roll over, they are in for a rude awakening.

That said, if Columbus still believes that they have playoff chances, they must come out and dominate this game. They've shown the ability to play with the best teams in the east on this road trip--even if only for chunks of games--but they can ill afford a slow start again tonight. Don't even give the young Sabes any hope.

Anton Forsberg gets the start tonight, and James Wisniewski is back in the lineup. Brandon Dubinsky missed morning skate due to illness, but is expected to play tonight.

Remember: this is similar to the Sabres team that ended the Jackets eight-game winning streak last season. Don't expect to just chalk this up as a win. It has the potential to be a nightmare let-down.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(26-28-4, 56 Points; 7th division, 13th conference)

Buffalo Sabres
(17-38-5, 39 Points; 8th Division, 16th Conference)

Season Series

BUF - 0-1-0
CBJ - 1-0-0

10/09/14 - Columbus 3 at Buffalo 1
02/24/15 - Buffalo at Columbus
04/10/15 - Buffalo at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

It's the Habs and Blues tonight from St. Louis.

The Montreal Canadiens are in St. Louis tonight hoping to keep their trumpets of victory blazing with another win over one of the NHL's best Western Conference teams. The Habs are coming into St. Louis tonight, a band of youth icing three defensemen under the age of 25. Their latest performance against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night in Montreal had certain elements of your regular old blues standard, but the Habs prevailed with a win thanks to heroics by their own "Hoochie-Coochie Man", Carey Price, who made 31 saves for the win.

Tonight's game is a contest between two teams virtually locked in to a playoff spot at 99.8% certainty for the Habs and 99.9% certainty for the Blues. With 23 games left on the schedule for the Habs have time to work on some of their discombobulated riffs, namely, issues scoring and on the other end of the ice, limiting their opponent's chances. Over the past five games in which the Habs are 3-2-1, the Canadiens have limited their opponents to an average of 38 Fenwick-For, and maintaining an average above their opponent of 42.2. The only game in which the Habs trailed in creating offense was against Columbus on Saturday when they were outplayed 39-31 on the Fenwick chart.

The Blues are coming off a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday, in which they were outplayed most of the game, giving up 55 shot attempts. Stalwart netminder Brian Elliot will be on the bench tonight in place of Jake Allen, who has been playing average this year with a .909 save percentage and 2.39 GAA. The hunch by Ken Hitchcock to play Allen may or may not be related to the Habs recent difficulties with back-up goalies, as the Habs have fallen to the likes of Andrew Hammond, Viktor Fasth and Louie Domingue in the three of the last four games they did not face their opponent's starting goalie.

The puck drops at 8:00 PM EST.

Scratched: Mike Weaver
Injuries: P.A. Parenteau (concussion), Sergei Gonchar (lower-body), Alexei Emelin (upper-body)

Scratched: Chris Butler, Joakim Lindstrom
Injuries: Kevin Shattenkirk (abdominal surgery)

Check out the enemy over at St. Louis Game Time.

Follow @s_demone10

Michal Neuvirth once again led the way, but the victory was a costly one for the Sabres.

For the Buffalo Sabres, a team looking to finish in last place, every victory comes with a price, but last night's price was especially high.

The Sabres earned a 4-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but finishes the game without both Zemgus Girgensons and Tyler Ennis, who left the game with lower body injuries. Girgensons' injury could be serious, Ted Nolan fears, saying, "It doesn't look very good," while Ennis' is more of the "wear and tear" variety.

Despite the injuries, the Sabres still earned a well-deserved 4-2 win, thanks to the goaltenders for both teams. Columbus goalie Anton Forsberg was an absolute trainwreck in net, allowing two soft goals and completely misplaying a shorthanded breakaway that gave Zemgus Girgensons his goal.

Meanwhile, Sabres goalie Michal Neuvirth's hot streak continued. Neuvirth stopped 45 of 47 Blue Jacket shots to earn the game's first star and his second victory in his last four starts.

The Sabres goals came from Cody Hodgson, Girgensons (shorthanded), Mark Pysyk, who blocked four shots and was a +3, and Chris Stewart on the power play. Stewart's goal makes his the third Sabres player to crack double-digit goals.

Luckily for the Sabres, the Oilers also won last night, so Buffalo is still five points up on Edmonton.

Two Questions

1. Will Zadorov return to the lineup, or have to wait?

Zadorov sat for the second straight game, and with the Sabres playing so well, there's a chance he might sit for a third if Ted Nolan doesn't want to mess with his lineup.

2. When will Michal Neuvirth's hot streak end?

Not last night. Neuvirth's .950+ save percentage is still intact, and while he'll certainly come back to earth at some point, it looks like Ted Nolan will ride him until the fall begins.

Comment of the Game

We were -60 in the 5-2 win in Columbus last year

Pretty damn impressive/depressing

by drwho62

Highlights

Trade Talk: Reports indicate that James Wisniewski is being shopped. Yay, or nay?

We got a hot new name in trade rumors, gang. That's right, James Wisniewski, good ol' Michigan boy from Canton, Michigan is reportedly being shopped by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Player Bio:

Birth Date: February 21, 1984 (31 years old)

Place of Birth: Canton, MI

Shoots: Right

Experience: 9 years

Drafted: Drafted by Chicago in 2002 156th overall.

James Wisniewski is a quality, yet headstrong veteran. Plain and simple. He's a big guy coming in at 6'0", 208 lbs, but really doesn't have any true flare that I jump out of my seat for. He's had some huge seasons in terms of point production, but hasn't put up those numbers consistently due to not playing as much. The two seasons he played 70+ games, he's notched over 50 points.. Which is real good.

The Pros and Cons:

James Wisniewski is a right-shooting blue liner with some serious snarl to his game. He plays big, physical, and can shine in an up-tempo system much like Detroit's. He definitely has the abilities to man the point on the power play and bring a total cannon (pun intended, I am awesome) of a shot. His contract yields some likable terms, as he is signed through 2016-2017 at $5.5 million AAV. The downside to his game has a lot to do with his decision making and defensive positioning. He's performed well in terms of possession metrics for his team, but the fear I have with him is that he can be somewhat 'uncontrolled' at times, and make bad plays in his own zone to cough up a nasty turnover. Let us not forget what Wisniewski told NHL Live not too long ago about his thoughts of playing in Detroit:

"For me, knowing Detroit's history they don't really pay the market value for a defenseman or any player,'' Wisniewski said on NHL Live. "So I didn't think that was going to be a fit for myself.

Here is what Mike over at The Cannon had to say about what the expected price of Wisniewski could be:

In a year where teams are reluctant to trade their first round pick, it will be interesting to see what kind of return he would fetch in a potential trade. With many teams tight to the cap, some salary would have to come back to the Jackets. Would this mean a classic player-for-player deal? Columbus could use a scoring forward. Maybe a second round pick and a very good prospect would get the deal done, or maybe a team will bite the bullet and deal their first rounder.

This is what I drew up in my mind as far as potential proposals:

Wings Acquire -

James Wisniewski

Jackets Acquire -

1st round pick

- OR -

Wings Acquire -

James Wisniewski

Jackets acquire -

2nd round pick + Prospect along the lines of Marek Tvrdon, or Mattias Janmark.

Conclusion:

I don't know how I feel about it. James Wisniewski is a good player at his core, but what really frightens me is that he has bad news written all over him. To elaborate, he reminds me a lot of Jonathan Ericsson and Jakub Kindl in one player. What I mean by that is he is mistake-prone, and could be the kind of player who could potentially ruminate over the mistakes he's made which in turn just gives you one giant shitty mess. On the flip side, he could be a good meat and potatoes style player who brings it every night and produces on the scoresheet. If you flip a 2nd round pick plus a serviceable prospect for Wisniewski and maybe a third round pick, that would be pretty great.. But throwing a 1st rounder in exchange for him just screams "Kyle Quincey version 2.0" to me. To be clear, I know he is much better than Kyle Quincey, but I'm just saying.. I have reserved reluctance over him. Everyone seemed to dislke my proposal for Brian Campbell, so tell me.. Does this seem like a better value?

After beating St. Louis on Tuesday, can the Habs earn another season series sweep?

On a typical day, a statement win over one of the league's strongest teams would be front page news for the Montreal Canadiens. On Tuesday, it was the statement they made earlier in the day that truly resonated.

The Canadiens will play their first game of the post-Sekac era tonight, as the young Czech was shipped to California in exchange for Devante Smith-Pelly. The ensuing 40 hours have borne a great deal of hand-wringing and debate, but now, what's done is done.

Michel Therrien is likely to slot his newest asset into the lineup tonight, and the space mostly recent occupied by Jiri Sekac looks like a good place to start. Sekac's most frequent position was the right wing beside Lars Eller and Brandon Prust.

The ability to wreak havoc behind the opponent's goal-line is one of Smith-Pelly's best attributes, and the 22-year-old will almost certainly be counted on for his potential ability to finish around the net. Eller and Prust may not be Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, but on a team desperate for secondary scoring, Smith-Pelly should get plenty of opportunity to generate some offence against Columbus.

Sekac and Smith-Pelly are producing at similar rates this year, but in a change of scenery trade like this one, the goal is always to find the right fit for a valuable asset. With P.A. Parenteau on the shelf, the Habs need a right-winged scoring option that isn't Brendan Gallagher, or putting their burgeoning superstar of a centre on his off-side. Marc Bergevin obviously feels that Smith-Pelly can fill that role, and tonight will represent the General Manager's first opportunity to be proven correct.

How to Watch

Start time: 7:00 PM ET
In the Canadiens region (French): RDS
In the Canadiens region (English): Sportsnet East
In the Blue Jackets region: Fox Sports Ohio
Elsewhere: NHL GameCenter, NHL Center Ice

Tale of the Tape

Know Your Enemy

The Blue Jackets that we saw last weekend gave a pretty good approximation of what the team is. They're at times talented, explosive, and physical, but seem to lack the depth to create a cohesive lineup. Beyond Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno at the top of the lineup, no other trio possesses enough tools to be truly dangerous.

The Canadiens will need to look out for the speed of Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson, and they may also see Todd Richards try to divide and conquer by separating his two top scorers. If the Habs can handle the three line deep Blues, however, they should be able to shut down the Jackets, too.

For the final 46:57 of last week's game, Curtis McElhinney often stood on his head, keeping the Habs within Columbus' striking distance. With Sergei Bobrovsky still on the sidelines, McElhinney also played the second half of Columbus' weekend back-to-back, where his team eventually succumbed to the Rangers in a shootout. Despite facing well over 30 shots per game against relatively strong competition, McElhinney has allowed an average of only two goals against over his last four starts. On the year, Columbus is one of only six teams that has allowed three or more goals per game, but the backup goaltender is doing his best to change that.

Last Time Out

The loss that the Canadiens dealt Columbus last weekend spurred a three game losing streak for the Blue Jackets, and Montreal will have a chance to extend it to four.

The game played out a lot like the Habs most recent win, as it involved one of the team's best offensive talents staking the squad to an early lead the team would not relinquish. In the case of the Columbus game, Max Pacioretty blasted two quick goals past McElhinney, giving the Canadiens all the offence they would need before the first period was out.

The second goal was the result of a remarkable display of patience and vision on the part of Nathan Beaulieu, who glided toward the Columbus net before putting a sharp pass directly onto Pacioretty's tape. Remarkable work from the former first round pick defender is becoming a trend, as the Strathroy, Ontario native has responded well to the increased responsibility he has been handed. He is the leader of the contingent of young players that has helped the Canadiens to make their recent statements, and tonight, that group will be on hand to witness the opening address of its newest member.