The majority of the remaining games for the Montreal Canadiens are against playoff, or playoff-hopeful teams, and Thursday night was no different. To finish their three-game home stand before hitting the road, they hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have been major risers in the Metropolitan division of late. Once again overcoming a lethargic start to the game, the Habs took a very close 2-1 victory, allowing them to head off for their road trip on a high note.
A third period marker from Zachary Bolduc ended up being the difference, and he couldn’t have picked a better game to do it with the top line struggling.
What did I say? D-men activating, Matheson moves it up, leads to a Bolduc snipe 2-1 #Habs pic.twitter.com/izoxEdXReq
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 27, 2026
Bolduc has been playing some quietly solid hockey of late, and finally saw himself rewarded for that. He has spent time nearly everywhere in the lineup this season, even in the press box, but seems to be finding consistency in his game at the best possible time. He could be a very important player for them in their remaining games, helping them to get to the playoffs, and perhaps even more important should they find themselves there.
This team will need secondary scoring to step up on the odd night where the top line can’t put the puck in the net. This was that kind of night, and it took goals from Bolduc and Jayden Struble to get them a big win. Other teams are acutely aware of the danger that top line presents in any given game. They’ll devote a lot of attention to slowing them down, and when they succeed in those efforts, getting wins will be tough unless other players can put the puck in the net.
We also must acknowledge that for the second game in a row, there’s no way they pick up the two points without Jakub Dobeš. They’ll need to address these lethargic starts, and how they handle high-pressure forechecks in the early goings of games, but it is a great equalizer to have consistently strong goaltending behind them. Dobeš seems to be getting better late in the season, and if he can keep this hot streak going, he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in the playoffs.
Far from perfect was this game as a whole for the Habs, but getting two points on a night where Ottawa and Tampa both lost in overtime is something you have to take however you can get it.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Saturday night, when the Habs start their five-game road trip against the Nashville Predators.
