Blue Jackets score four in first frame, rout Canadiens

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[January 31, 2022] Patrik Laine scored twice, including one of Columbus' four first-period goals, and the visiting Blue Jackets extended the Montreal Canadiens' winless streak to six games with a 6-3 victory on Sunday night.

Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59) checks Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (71) during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports


With Columbus down 1-0 early in the first, Laine got the ball rolling to tie the game. Jack Roslovic, Eric Robinson and rookie Yegor Chinakhov each followed with a goal in the first, and fellow rookie Cole Sillinger added a key third-period score for the Blue Jackets, who won back-to-back contests for the first time since a three-game run Nov. 22-26.

Artturi Lehkonen had a goal with two assists while All-Star Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli recorded one of each for the lowly Canadiens, who are mired in an 0-4-2 rut and allowed 26 goals in their last four games. Montreal's Sam Montembeault was pulled for the second straight night after allowing three goals on seven shots in a little more than 10 minutes.

The Canadiens scored 1:19 into the contest when Suzuki got the puck behind the Columbus net, back-handed it off Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo (32 saves), teammate Gustav Nyquist and in. However, Columbus leveled the contest less than three minutes later when Laine sent a wristed laser by Montembeault.

The Blue Jackets took the lead when Roslovic threw the puck on net from roughly 40 feet away, fooling Montembeault, who couldn't make the save with 11:21 left in the first.

Montembeault's night ended just 10:11 into the game, when Robinson intercepted a point pass, skated in alone and rather easily slid the puck in for a short-handed goal. Columbus' final first-period goal came off a Montreal turnover, when Chinakhov beat Montreal backup goalie Cayden Primeau (26 saves) with 6:46 left in the opening frame.

Toffoli's blistering one-timer off a Lehkonen pass with 41 seconds left in the second period made it a 4-2 contest. Lehkonen delivered a short-handed goal with 13:05 left in regulation, but Sillinger's blast by Primeau about three minutes later gave Columbus back its cushion.

Laine added an empty-netter for his fourth point in two games.

--Field Level Media

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