Less than a week ago, the Montreal Canadiens were right on that playoff bubble, but have now won three straight and are within three points of the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in the Atlantic Division. On Thursday night, the Canadiens were at home against another playoff hopeful in the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It was a tight back-and-forth contest where both teams scored a goal in the first 12 minutes of the game. However, that would be the last of the scoring until Zach Bolduc scored a little over four minutes into the third period.
The Blue Jackets were able to keep pressure on the Canadiens and not allow them to extend their lead. It was up to Jakub Dobes to hold onto that lead late, which he did, and the Canadiens were able to secure the 2-1 win.
These are some of the top takeaways from the game on Thursday night.
Zach Bolduc ends a goal-scoring drought of 32 games
The first season for Zach Bolduc in Montreal has not gone the way anyone really hoped after the Canadiens traded for him during the summer. One area he has taken a step backward is in goal-scoring, as he has seen his shooting percentage drop from 15.8% last season with the Blues to only 10.6% with the Canadiens.
Entering the game against the Blue Jackets, Bolduc hadn't scored a goal in 32 games, and his last goal was on December 23rd. However, he ended that drought with a goal in the third period that helped break the 1-1 tie with Columbus. It was a huge goal that the Canadiens needed at a key point of the game, but also one for Bolduc.
No player wants a goal-scoring drought hanging over their head at this point in the season. Especially when considering Bolduc thought he scored in the Canadiens against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
It is good to see Bolduc officially put an end to his drought as the Canadiens are going to be looking for secondary scoring in the playoffs outside of their top line.
Jayden Struble also ends a goal-scoring drought that dates back to 2024
It wasn't just Zach Bolduc who ended his drought on Thursday night against the Blue Jackets, as the first goal was scored by Jayden Struble in the first period. It was the first goal of the season for the Canadiens defenseman and his first goal since November 26th, 2024, when he scored against Utah.
Similar to Bolduc, Struble has struggled this season and has found himself right on that lineup bubble. The Canadiens recently shuffled their defensive pairs and Struble has been a more consistent presence in the lineup.
On Thursday night, it was a mixed performance as he scored the first goal for the Canadiens, but he was also on the ice for the Blue Jackets' first goal. Damon Severson was able to beat Jakub Dobes less than three minutes after Struble's goal, due in part to the defensive breakdown of Struble and Lane Hutson.
As has been the case since these pairs have been shuffled, they still have some lapses in the defensive zone, but collectively, he has been a notable improvement over where the blueline was earlier this month.
Jakub Dobes with another stellar performance to give the Canadiens a win
While Jakub Dobes didn't need to have the career game he had as he did against the Hurricanes, it was still an excellent performance from the Canadiens' goaltender. The last time Dobes was on the ice, he stopped 41 of 43 shots against Carolina. He would stop 25 of 26 shots with some highlight reel-type saves late to maintain the lead and secure the win.
One of the biggest concerns for this team has been their goaltending, but as of late it has been a strength because of what Dobes has been able to do. He has earned the chance to be the starter, and he doesn't look like he will be giving it up any time soon.
This was a big game for the Montreal Canadiens as they now have a three-game win streak with 90 points going into a pivotal five-game road trip that starts against the Nashville Predators on Saturday.