By Canadian Press

Tatar scores winner as Canadiens edge Blue Jackets to snap four-game slide

Feb 19, 2019 | 9:25 PM

MONTREAL — Tomas Tatar scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and the Montreal Canadiens held on to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Tuesday.

The victory, Montreal’s first since Feb. 4, ended a four-game losing streak for the Canadiens (32-21-7).

Paul Byron and Max Domi also scored for Montreal and Carey Price made 30 saves.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 shots and Josh Anderson and Nick Foligno scored for Columbus (33-23-3).

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The Blue Jackets were playing the second game of a back-to-back after losing to Tampa Bay Monday night. The visitors were also without forward Artemi Panarin, who sat out due to illness.

Byron scored in his return to the lineup after missing the last six games due to a forearm injury.

Domi put the Canadiens on the board 90 seconds in. The forward powered up the wing and tried to feed Jonathan Drouin on a two-on-one. The puck instead went off forward Eric Robinson, and Domi batted the puck past Bobrovsky for his 20th of the season.

Byron’s goal came nearly 16 minutes later. After a Jesperi Kotkaniemi shot went wide of the net and off the backboard, Byron was first to the puck and buried it past Bobrovsky for his 11th of the season.

The Blue Jackets drew one back in the opening moments of the second period, when Anderson sniped one past Price.

Foligno tied the game in the third period when he put a rebound past Price. Anderson picked up his second point of the night with an assist.

But the Canadiens retook the lead at 13:08 of the third period on Tatar’s 19th of the season. Defenceman Jordie Benn hung along the boards and fed Tatar with a pass to Bobrovsky’s right and he quickly tapped it past the goaltender.

The Canadiens play their next game Thursday night, hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Columbus plays the Ottawa Senators Friday.

NOTES: Byron played in his 400th career NHL game. … Blue Jackets’ forward Brandon Dubinsky suited up in his 800th career game.

Julian McKenzie, The Canadian Press