Blue Jackets 3, Canadiens 2
Ryan Johansen scored a tiebreaking unassisted goal with 3:01 left in the third period as visiting Columbus snapped Montreal's three-game winning streak.
Derek MacKenzie netted a short-handed tally and Brandon Dubinsky also scored as the Blue Jackets improved to 4-1-1 in their last six to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves in his 16th consecutive start for Columbus.
Brendan Gallagher recorded a power-play goal and Thomas Vanek scored for the fourth time in two games for the Canadiens, who fell two points behind Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division. Carey Price had his five-start winning streak halted despite turning aside 37 shots.
The Blue Jackets went ahead just before the seven-minute mark of the second period, when Dubinsky backhanded the rebound of Blake Comeau's one-timer under Price for a 2-1 edge, but Montreal tied it when Max Pacioretty sent a circle-to-circle pass to Vanek for a one-timer from the left faceoff dot with 12:14 left in the third. Johansen scored the game-winner by intercepting a pass and breaking in before beating Price from the bottom of the right circle.
Gallagher opened the scoring 14:53 into the opening period, batting a rebound out of mid-air and past Bobrovsky. Columbus tied it exactly one minute later as Mark Letestu snapped a shot off a faceoff that Price stopped, but a charging MacKenzie pushed home the rebound.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Vanek, who notched his seventh career hat trick on Tuesday, reached 25 goals for the eighth time in nine seasons - missing for the only time in last year's lockout-shortened campaign. ... Columbus failed on all eight power-play chances to fall to 0-for-26 in the past seven games, while Montreal has killed off 24 consecutive short-handed situations. ... Johansen accumulated nine penalty minutes in the opening period, setting a career high for a single game.