Entering Friday, the Montreal Canadiens were the only team in the NHL to not lose a game in regulation. That changed in a very big way with the Columbus Blue Jackets winning by 10 goals in a shutout Friday night.
Yes, the Blue Jackets beat the Canadiens 10-0
Canadiens stumble after epic start
Entering Friday’s game, the Canadiens were the only team in the NHL to not lose in regulation. They entered 9-0-1, earning at least a point in every game.
Most of that success had been because of the performance of their goalies. In their first 10 games this season, the Canadiens had allowed just 13 goals total and more than two in a game just once (in a shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators).
The 10-0 loss is tied for the largest shutout loss in Canadiens franchise history. They had not lost in a shutout by that many goals since the 1941-42 season.
Al Montoya started in net for the Canadiens and was the only goalie to appear in the game for Montreal. He became only the second NHL goalie to allow 10 goals in a game since the turn of the century, joining the New York Rangers' Steve Valiquette who allowed 10 goals against the Dallas Stars in February 2009.
Carey Price, who typically starts for Montreal, has allowed just seven goals in six games this season.
Blue Jackets get a win for the ages
Entering Friday, the Blue Jackets' largest shutout win in franchise history was 6-0 on Nov. 25, 2013, against the Maple Leafs. In fact, prior to Friday, the Blue Jackets only had five shutout victories in which they scored five goals or more in franchise history.
In the win, the Blue Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky tied Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk for the NHL lead with three shutouts. The season started poorly for Bobrovsky, who allowed five goals in his first game. Since then, he has appeared in eight games and has not allowed more than two goals in regulation in any of them.
Montoya and Bobrovsky each made 30 saves tonight. Bobrovsky's team just happened to win 10-0.
