Mike Matheson contributed a goal and an assist to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Cole Caufield and Joel Armia both notched two assists for the Canadiens, who have secured two wins in their last three games following a six-game losing streak. Sam Montembeault made 25 saves.
For the Blue Jackets, Dante Fabbro scored, and Daniil Tarasov also made 25 saves, but the team has now lost seven out of their last eight games.
Matheson opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 4:59 of the first period, capitalizing on a quick pass from Caufield for a one-timer that went past a screened Tarasov. This goal energized the Canadiens, who outshot Columbus 10-4 by the midpoint of the period.
As the first period progressed, the Blue Jackets started to increase their efforts and began to create scoring opportunities, reducing the shot deficit.
In the second period, Columbus tied the game 1-1 at 7:40 when Fabbro scored. After Sean Kuraly’s shot from the slot missed the target, Zach Werenski assisted Fabbro at the left point, allowing him to fire a one-timer through traffic that beat Montembeault on the glove side.
Columbus dominated puck possession for much of the second period, limiting Montreal to just one shot on goal until the latter half. However, the Canadiens regained their momentum and took a 2-1 lead at 15:49 when Nick Suzuki capitalized on a pass from Armia, scoring with a shot under Tarasov’s glove.
In the third period, Lucas Condotta increased the lead to 3-1 with a one-timer from the left hashmarks at 11:04. Jake Evans recorded his 100th career point with a quick tip-in off a feed from Caufield at 12:52, extending the lead to 4-1. Matheson’s shot then deflected off Josh Anderson, bringing the final score to 5-1 at 15:55.
