Kirill Marchenko scores late winner to lift Blue Jackets over Canadiens

Field Level Media|published: Mon 23rd December, 22:12 2024

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Columbus Blue Jackets

Dec 23, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) makes a save as Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (86) looks for a rebound during the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

Dimitri Voronkov lit the lamp twice and Kirill Marchenko scored the game winner with just over two minutes remaining to help the host Columbus Blue Jackets outlast the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Monday night.

Marchenko blasted a wrist shot past Sam Montembeault with 2:12 left in the game to hand the home team the victory.

Marchenko finished with a goal and two assists. Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski tallied three assists apiece, while Jet Greaves made 27 saves in the win.

Patrik Laine's return to Columbus as a member of the Canadiens was cut short after he left the game following the end of the first period with an upper-body injury.

The host squad opened the scoring with just under eight minutes left in the first period, as Voronkov took a pass from Monahan and fired a wrist shot past Montembeault.

Kent Johnson doubled up the Blue Jackets' advantage with 1:15 left in the opening frame as he batted in a rebound to tally his 10th goal of the season.

Despite the loss of Laine, the Canadiens got off to a hot start in the middle frame, as David Savard scored his first goal of the season, just 2:03 into the period.

But just over a minute later, the returning piece in the Laine trade, Jordan Harris, made his former team pay.

Harris scored his first goal of the season to bring the Blue Jackets' lead up to 3-1.

With 12:57 remaining in the second period, Lane Hutson tallied the second goal of his young career.

Hutson's harmless wrist shot banked off the stick of a Blue Jackets' skater and flew into the net.

The Canadiens then knotted the game up at 3-3 with 5:34 left in the second period as Jake Evans fired a game-tying shot gloveside past Greaves.

Joel Armia gave the Canadiens their first lead of the game just twenty seconds into the third period as his shot slid through the legs of the Blue Jackets netminder.

Voronkov then struck for his second of the game, this time on the power play with 16:36 left to knot the contest at 4-4.

Marchenko then found the winning goal in the game's final minutes.

--Field Level Media

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