Hot Canadiens to get test from Blue Jackets

The Montreal Canadiens can improve their postseason aspirations and levy a significant blow to their closest pursuer on Thursday when they open a two-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Canadiens improved to 4-0-1 in their last five outings with a 6-1 romp over Florida on Tuesday. The lopsided win moved Montreal within one point of Carolina for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and squashed the faint playoff hopes of the Panthers in the process.

Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets remained hot on the Canadiens' tail after the two-time Vezina Trophy recipient recorded his third shutout in four starts in Tuesday's 4-0 rout of the New York Islanders. Columbus has won a season high-tying four straight home games heading into Thursday's tilt.

"You're checking the scores, obviously, I mean just to see how the results are," said Canadiens forward Tomas Tatar, who had two goals and an assist against the Panthers.

"At the end of the day, it's all in your hands and you depend on your own destiny. So we just have to win the games that we have to."

Tatar has played a significant role in Montreal's previous two victories against Columbus, joining Joel Armia in scoring twice in a 4-1 road victory on Jan. 18 before scoring in the third period of a 3-2 home triumph on Feb. 19.

The 28-year-old Tatar's two-goal performance in the first period Tuesday boosted his season total in tallies to 25, marking the third time in his career that he has reached that plateau. Tatar also set up Phillip Danault's first goal in 21 games to notch his career-high 57th point and second three-point effort in three games.

Andrew Shaw recorded his third multi-point performance in five contests after notching a pair of assists on Tuesday.

"We've got a point in the last five (games), it's huge right now," the 27-year-old Shaw said. "It just shows that we're a character team. We're going to work hard, compete, and we're going to earn our own spot in the playoffs and not rely on someone winning or losing."

That's a good plan considering the Blue Jackets are 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Bobrovsky turned aside all 26 shots he faced to pick up his career-best and NHL high-tying eighth shutout of the season. He carries a shutout streak of 157 minutes and 55 seconds into Thursday's tilt versus Montreal, against which he owns a 9-6-1 mark with one shutout, a 2.07 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in 16 career meetings.

"I don't feel the pressure," the 30-year-old Bobrovsky said. "One game at a time, just try to embrace it and have fun (as) the atmosphere gets more intense and the building gets more energized. It's fun to be part of."

In-season trade acquisition Ryan Dzingel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored in their second straight game on Tuesday and Artemi Panarin tallied to snap a 12-game goal drought.

Columbus faces a tall order in former Hart and Vezina Trophy recipient Carey Price, who has started nine straight contests and permitted just 13 goals in his last eight.

Price improved to 9-3-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 13 career encounters against the Blue Jackets after turning aside 65 of 68 shots in a pair of victories this season.

--Field Level Media