Central Plains FFA Chapter

04/10 03:10 CDT Montreal and Columbus take the ice in Eastern Conference play Montreal and Columbus take the ice in Eastern Conference play By The Associated Press Columbus Blue Jackets (39-28-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (47-22-10, in the Atlantic Division) Montreal, Quebec; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in Eastern Conference play. Montreal is 47-22-10 overall and 24-14-2 in home games. The Canadiens have scored 271 total goals (3.4 per game) to rank seventh in league play. Columbus has a 19-17-4 record on the road and a 39-28-12 record overall. The Blue Jackets have a -6 scoring differential, with 238 total goals scored and 244 allowed. The matchup Saturday is the third time these teams meet this season. The Canadiens won 2-1 in the previous matchup. TOP PERFORMERS: Lane Hutson has 12 goals and 63 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has seven goals and six assists over the past 10 games. Kirill Marchenko has 26 goals and 39 assists for the Blue Jackets. Adam Fantilli has scored two goals with two assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 9-1-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.5 assists, 5.1 penalties and 13.4 penalty minutes while giving up 1.7 goals per game. Blue Jackets: 2-7-1, averaging 1.6 goals, 2.8 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game. INJURIES: Canadiens: Alexandre Carrier: out (upper body), Patrik Laine: out (abdomen), Joseph Veleno: day to day (illness). Blue Jackets: Brendan Smith: out (knee), Mathieu Olivier: out (upper body), Dmitri Voronkov: out (hand), Damon Severson: out for season (shoulder). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.