Blue Jackets vs Canadiens

As expected, Jordan Harris is ready to re-enter the lineup this evening, spelling Chris Wideman and reuniting a pairing with Johnny Kovacevic that has proven to ...

Right Wing Left Wing Jesse Ylönen is also back in after being a healthy scratch versus the Boston Bruins.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard electrified the Bell Centre with his first career hat trick as the Montreal Canadiens routed the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-2 on Saturday.

The Latvian appeared to have suffered the injury while attempting to make a save on the play resulting in Rafael Harvey-Pinard’s hat trick goal. Marchenko took a shot from a tight angle over Montembeault’s shoulder to tie the game but the net was knocked loose in the process. Merzlikins made the save but Harvey-Pinard zoomed into the crease to tap in Montreal’s third goal. Ylonen took advantage of Brendan Gallagher’s screen in front of the net to send a wrist shot from atop the left faceoff circle. Greer in Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, beat Merzlikins with a wrist shot. The Blue Jackets took only 1:32 to score the game's first goal.

The Bell Centre on Saturday night will host a battle between two of the Eastern Conference's worst teams when the Columbus Blue Jackets play the Montreal ...

The Bruins doubled the lead on a fantastic [Jake DeBrusk](https://news.sportsinteraction.com/nhl/player/jake-debrusk-6375) breakaway goal. [Jake Allen](https://news.sportsinteraction.com/nhl/player/jake-allen-4213)’s net bounced off a Hab defenceman before fooling the goalie himself. [Liam Foudy](https://news.sportsinteraction.com/nhl/player/liam-foudy-17341) (sixth), Kent Johnson (15th), and [Eric Robinson](https://news.sportsinteraction.com/nhl/player/eric-robinson-6613) (10th) also netted in a second period scoring bonanza. [Boone Jenner](https://news.sportsinteraction.com/nhl/player/boone-jenner-4406) came to the rescue, notching his 25th of the campaign on the always dangerous OT powerplay. Speaking of things having to give, Montreal takes the most amount of penalties of any team, and has the fourth-worst PK unit, but the Blue Jackets are only good for 22nd on the man advantage. Both previous games were played in Ohio, with the Jackets defending home ice the first time 6-4, then falling to the Habs 3-1 on the second try.

MONTREAL -- — Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-2 Saturday ...

[Michael Hutchinson](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/5133/michael-hutchinson) came on and finished with seven saves. [Rafael Harvey-Pinard](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4391250/rafael-harvey-pinard) scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the [Montreal Canadiens](http://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/mtl/montreal-canadiens) beat the [Columbus Blue Jackets](http://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/cbj/columbus-blue-jackets) 8-2 Saturday night. [Elvis Merzlikins](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3151038/elvis-merzlikins) was pulled late in the second period after giving up six goals on 24 shots. Merzlikins left with about three minutes remaining in the second. It was his 12th of the season. “The second period killed us, that’s what it was,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. “I don’t even know if it was an energy thing, it’s more that we shot ourselves in the foot time and time again,” Pederson said. Of course we’d like to be in a better spot to give them playoff hockey but to have that support is fantastic and we don’t take that for granted.” In the dressing room, a player had covered up part of his name plate. [Mike Matheson](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2976851/mike-matheson) had three assists and [Johnathan Kovacevic](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4587933/johnathan-kovacevic) had two. Harvey-Pinard, a Quebec native received a standing ovation following his third goal and another one after being named the first star of the game. I was just hearing the crowd, it was so loud.

Under Martin St. Louis, the Montreal Canadiens have established their brand of hockey for the future. And despite an 8-2 shellacking of the Columbus Blue ...

“We see the benefit of that and I feel, as coaches, it’s very rewarding to see that some of the stuff you work on, they can go out there and almost…nothing’s easy, but it’s easier when you get some of these reps in practice.” And I think that’s the driving force of everything in all three zones is how good we are at being on top of them. Louis talked about how organized both teams are, and about how that organization is a function of having a recognizable brand and a connectivity borne of familiarity that’s been in place between their players for years. And I know that’s hard, but the more you talk about it, the more you work at it, the more you show examples, it’s impossible to think that every time and every rep you’re going to take, it’s going to be connected, but the more you stay at it, the closer you get to it…I feel like we’ve grown tremendously on both sides of the puck that way, and all that happens through balance on the ice.” “I think the most important thing about our brand is just the balance and the connection on both sides of the puck,” he started. And all of them were shining bright because the team tapped into the brand they’ve consistently displayed all week (in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday, in a game they lost but easily could’ve won against the NHL’s most dominant team in Boston and in Saturday’s beatdown of the woeful Blue Jackets).

Saturday night was special for Rafael Harvey-Pinard and the Bell Centre crowd, as well as his teammates. Harvey-Pinard electrified the crowd by scoring his ...

Ylonen took advantage of Brendan Gallagher's screen in front of the net to send a wrist shot from atop the left face-off circle. Harvey-Pinard completed his hat trick before the end of the second. Kent Johnson located Pederson in front of the net with a backhand pass and the forward completed the one-timer. Greer in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, beat Merzlikins with a wrist shot. Hoffman, sporting a full-face visor after receiving a cross-check to the face from A.J. "I was trying to get him to stand up and salute the crowd," Gallagher said with a grin.

MONTREAL -- — Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-2 Saturday ...

[Michael Hutchinson](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/5133/michael-hutchinson) came on and finished with seven saves. [Rafael Harvey-Pinard](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4391250/rafael-harvey-pinard) scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the [Montreal Canadiens](http://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/mtl/montreal-canadiens) beat the [Columbus Blue Jackets](http://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/cbj/columbus-blue-jackets) 8-2 Saturday night. [Elvis Merzlikins](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3151038/elvis-merzlikins) was pulled late in the second period after giving up six goals on 24 shots. Merzlikins left with about three minutes remaining in the second. It was his 12th of the season. “The second period killed us, that’s what it was,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. “I don’t even know if it was an energy thing, it’s more that we shot ourselves in the foot time and time again,” Pederson said. Of course we’d like to be in a better spot to give them playoff hockey but to have that support is fantastic and we don’t take that for granted.” In the dressing room, a player had covered up part of his name plate. [Mike Matheson](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2976851/mike-matheson) had three assists and [Johnathan Kovacevic](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4587933/johnathan-kovacevic) had two. Harvey-Pinard, a Quebec native received a standing ovation following his third goal and another one after being named the first star of the game. I was just hearing the crowd, it was so loud.