Columbus Blue Jackets at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montréal Canadiens on Mar 26, 2026. Final score: Columbus Blue Jackets 1, Montréal Canadiens 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 26, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 1 |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Zachary Bolduc | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13:51 | 0.16 | 2.07 |
| 2nd | Damon Severson | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 21:23 | 0.33 | 1.41 |
| 3rd | Jayden Struble | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12:05 | 0.12 | 1.22 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Columbus Blue Jackets–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 09:54 | MTL | Jayden Struble | Zachary Bolduc, Lane Hutson | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 12:17 | CBJ | Damon Severson | Boone Jenner, Isac Lundeström | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 04:36 | MTL | Zachary Bolduc | Jake Evans, Mike Matheson | 5v5 | 1–2 |
Team Comparison
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 20 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.20 | 2.22 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 6 |
| Corsi % | 60.2% | 39.8% |
| Power play | 0/1 | 0/2 |
| Faceoff % | 48.9% | 51.1% |
| Hits | 27 | 24 |
| Blocks | 8 | 17 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 8 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 3 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damon Severson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:23 | 0.33 | 1.41 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:35 | 0.34 | 1.12 |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:36 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:53 | 0.23 | 0.91 |
| Isac Lundeström | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:12 | 0.00 | 0.81 |
| Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:40 | 0.49 | 0.68 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:47 | 0.46 | 0.60 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27:21 | 0.14 | 0.55 |
| Miles Wood | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:47 | 0.15 | 0.53 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:34 | 0.05 | 0.17 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:37 | 0.01 | 0.16 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:47 | 0.22 | 0.12 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:49 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:43 | 0.09 | -0.13 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:20 | 0.23 | -0.24 |
| Danton Heinen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:33 | 0.05 | -0.29 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:45 | 0.26 | -0.34 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:04 | 0.00 | -0.43 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13:51 | 0.16 | 2.07 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12:05 | 0.12 | 1.22 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:56 | 0.00 | 0.68 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:12 | 0.13 | 0.64 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:45 | 0.13 | 0.58 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:50 | 0.01 | 0.17 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:24 | 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:15 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:48 | 0.74 | -0.08 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:00 | 0.00 | -0.09 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:38 | 0.04 | -0.11 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:36 | 0.20 | -0.13 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:22 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:18 | 0.00 | -0.20 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:15 | 0.03 | -0.29 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:40 | 0.06 | -0.43 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:24 | 0.04 | -0.44 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24:45 | 0.05 | -0.75 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets | 18 | 20 | 90.0% | -0.21 | L |
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 25 | 26 | 96.2% | 2.13 | W |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2–1 on Mar 26, 2026, a one-goal game.
Montréal Canadiens generated 2.22 expected goals to Columbus Blue Jackets's 3.2 — Columbus Blue Jackets owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Zachary Bolduc led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.07 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots on goal.
Jakub Dobes stopped 25 of 26, worth 2.13 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2–1 on Mar 26, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Zachary Bolduc led all skaters at 2.07, on 1G, 1A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 2.22 expected goals and Columbus Blue Jackets generated 3.2, so Columbus Blue Jackets created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Columbus Blue Jackets put 26 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 20. High-danger chances went 15 to 6.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jet Greaves stopped 18 of 20 (-0.21 goals saved above expected); Jakub Dobes stopped 25 of 26 (2.13 goals saved above expected).