Marchenko Leads Blue Jackets to 4-3 Shootout Win Over Canadiens

The Columbus Blue Jackets secured a thrilling 4-3 shootout victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. The game was intense from the start, with both teams trading opportunities and strong plays. Columbus took an early lead and held it for much of the game, but Montreal battled back to tie it, forcing overtime and eventually a shootout. Kirill Marchenko scored the decisive goal in the shootout, giving the Blue Jackets a hard-fought victory and extending their points streak to five games.

The Blue Jackets opened the scoring 6:58 into the first period. Zach Werenski collected the puck near the point and had space to move closer to the slot before releasing a wrist shot that found the back of the net. Columbus maintained pressure throughout the first period, making it clear they intended to control the pace of the game. The Canadiens responded with strong offense but could not break through goalie Jet Greaves, who made several key saves.

Montreal tied the game early in the second period with a nice passing play finished by Oliver Kapanen at 4:47. However, Columbus quickly regained the advantage. Adam Fantilli scored his fourth goal in five games just five minutes later, putting the Blue Jackets back in front. Dmitri Voronkov extended the lead to 3-1 with a tip-in power-play goal at 13:32. The Blue Jackets appeared to have control of the game with a two-goal lead as the second period ended.

Montreal started the third period aggressively. Joel Anderson scored at 8:28 to begin the Canadiens’ comeback. Lane Hutson later found the equalizer with just 79 seconds left in regulation, firing a shot from the upper slot past Greaves, who was screened. The Canadiens’ comeback forced the game into overtime, where they outshot Columbus 6-0, putting pressure on the Blue Jackets. Despite the strong attack, Greaves made several critical saves, including a key stop on Ivan Demidov with 22 seconds left in overtime.

With the game tied after overtime, the match went to a shootout. Columbus’ Kirill Marchenko scored the deciding goal, giving the Blue Jackets the 4-3 win. Marchenko also logged two assists during the game and has now accumulated 15 points in his 12-game point streak. If he scores or assists in the next game against Winnipeg, he will tie the franchise record for the longest point streak in Columbus history. Zach Werenski and Dmitri Voronkov each contributed a goal and an assist, while Adam Fantilli added another key goal for the Blue Jackets.

Greaves stopped 29 of 32 shots to improve his season record to 6-4-2. His goaltending was vital in keeping Columbus ahead and in the game during overtime and shootout. For Montreal, goaltender Jakub Dobes stopped 20 of 23 shots, but the Canadiens were unable to maintain their momentum late in the third period. Hutson contributed a goal and an assist, while Anderson and Kapanen added other key goals. Columbus’ balanced attack and strong defense ultimately made the difference, earning them a vital road win.