GAME DAY | Blue Jackets – Canadiens: Preview, Lines, Goalies, TV, Fantasy

• Max Pacioretty: “We’ve got to play better tomorrow, we really need to play for 60 minutes and get the ‘W’ before we go into the break. Everyone’s frustrated with the way tonight’s game went.”
• Having only gain a single point in two games against teams that are in the bottom 3 spots of the Eastern Conference (Toronto and Columbus), it is should be safe to say that the Canadiens have hit rock bottom (at least we hope). The Canadiens are on a slump of disastrous proportions and at their current rate the only thing the Canadiens’ will have any hope of winning when the regular season ends is the draft lottery.
• Since December 1, 2015 (at which point the Canadiens were atop of the conference in points), the Canadiens have an NHL worst 6-17-1 record. They currently find themselves outside of a playoff position.
• The Canadiens’ aren’t alone in their struggles without their former Vezina winning, number one goaltender. Columbus’ number one goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, suffered his third groin injury of this season last week and there hasn’t been a timetable for his return.
• While the Canadiens have a 20-9-3 record versus teams in the Eastern Conference this season, the Blue Jackets have a 8-16-4 record against teams from the East.
• So far this season, the Canadiens have a 9-6-2 record versus teams in the Metropolitan division, while the Blue Jackets have struggled mightily with a 2-8-2 record versus teams coming from the Atlantic Division.
• The Canadiens have dropped in their placing for the goals against category, they are currently in 18th in the league in goals against, with 129 in 49 games. The Blue Jackets have allowed 161 goals in 50 games and find themselves in 30th in the league.
• The Canadiens have maintained their place in the standings in the goals for category as they are currently in 9th place in the NHL, with 134 over their first 49 games. The Blue Jackets are 15th in this category with 128 goals scored in 49 games.

• Top scorers for the Blue Jackets on the road this season are:

1. Scott Hartnell (with 18 points in 26 games).
2. Alexander Wennberg (with 14 points in 20 games)
3.  Nick Foligno (with 13 points in 21 games)

• Top scorers for the Canadiens at home this season are:

1. Tomas Plekanec (with 16 points in 23 games)
2. Max Pacioretty and P. K. Subban (both with 15 points in 23 games)
3. David Desharnais (with 13 points in 23 games)

* – Currently injured

Player stats from War-on-Ice, NHL.com and Yahoo Sports.