- Matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens
- Scheduled Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
- Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
- Broadcast: TSN2
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The Bell Centre is set to host an exciting clash as the Montreal Canadiens (38-21-10) aim to outplay the Columbus Blue Jackets (37-22-11) this Thursday.
Coming off a tough 1-0 defeat against the Islanders, the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to rebound. During that match, the team accumulated 6 penalty minutes and had only one power play attempt that went scoreless. Their offensive performance fell short of expectations, managing no goals from 26 shots.
This season, Columbus has faced 194 power play attempts (ranking 22nd in the league) and has conceded 43 goals during those situations. They’ve faced a total of 2,036 shots, boasting a save percentage of .895. The Blue Jackets have themselves taken 2,097 shots and achieved a shooting percentage of 10.6%. While even-strength play has seen them concede 171 goals while scoring 187. They’ve had 172 power play opportunities, converting 35 for a success rate of 20.35%. With 85 points, their current points percentage stands at .607, having scored 222 goals (15th in the NHL) while allowing 214.
Goalkeeper Jet Greaves will be in the net for this matchup. Throughout his career, Greaves has registered 42 quality starts with a rate of .667. His save percentage is at .915 across 1,225 minutes played. He has faced 1,984 shots, making 1,815 saves, while 169 goals have been scored against him, averaging 2.68 goals against per game. His record stands at 33-22-10 from 63 games played.
On the other side, the Montreal Canadiens recently triumphed over the Islanders with a score of 7-3. They capitalized on 4 power play opportunities, scoring 3 goals, and achieving a total of 7 goals from 36 shots on goal.
This year, the Montreal Canadiens have recorded 242 goals, earning 86 points and a points percentage of .623. They’ve allowed 223 goals, composed of 172 even-strength goals and 51 while short-handed. With 192 even-strength goals and 50 goals (ranking 6th in the league) during power plays, they’ve had 197 power play opportunities, achieving a conversion rate of 25.38%. Montreal has taken 1,846 shots (24th in the league) with a shooting percentage of 13.11%, while allowing 1,894 shots against. Their penalty kill rate is at 76.50%, successfully defending against 217 enemy power plays, while their current save percentage is 88.2%.
Jakub Dobes is expected to guard the net for the Canadiens. Teams have averaged 2.83 goals per game against him, with Dobes conceding 136 goals in total. His quality start rate is at 56.3%, having had 27 quality starts throughout his career. He’s played 48 games and logged 931 minutes in net, with a career record of 29-12-7 over 50 games, making 1,203 saves out of 1,339 shots for a save rate of .898.
Who will emerge victorious in tonight’s NHL showdown, covering the spread or moneyline?
Prediction: Back Columbus
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