Adam Fantilli, Blue Jackets try to keep rolling at Canadiens

Amid a busy stretch this week, the Montreal Canadiens will next be tasked with trying to cool off one of the NHL's promising rookies.

Columbus' Adam Fantilli looks to continue the strong start to his career, while also trying to help the visiting Blue Jackets extend their point streak to four games on Thursday night against the Canadiens.

While plenty of eyes are rightfully on celebrated 2023 top overall pick Connor Bedard in Chicago, the 19-year-old Fantilli, taken two picks later, has shown his worth right out of the gate. He already has two goals with two assists through his first six games for the Blue Jackets, who have recorded five points in their past three contests.

Fantilli scored in his second straight game, and recorded an assist, during Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to visiting Anaheim.

"Anytime you get to score it feels good, but winning feels a lot better -- and I'm a little bitter about that," said Fantilli, the Ontario native, who had 30 goals and 35 assists in 36 games at Michigan last season.

Looking to bounce back from that defeat, Fantilli and the Blue Jackets face a Montreal club that will be playing its third game in four days. The Canadiens opened that stretch with Monday's 3-1 victory at Buffalo but fell 5-2 to New Jersey at home roughly 24 hours later.

"I think it would have been easy for us to look at the schedule, have an excuse and (say) we didn't have it (against the Devils)," said Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson, who posted his first goal of the season Tuesday.

"It shows that we really care and want to get to that next level and want to push the pace to get there as quickly as possible."

Montreal has already allowed five non-shootout goals in three games this season, while the Blue Jackets have scored five twice in 2023-24. The Canadiens have also started three different goaltenders through the first six games.

Cayden Primeau stopped 29 of 33 shots on Tuesday in his season debut for Montreal. Meanwhile, Montreal's Jake Allen is 2-0-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and Sam Montembeault has allowed seven goals on 65 shots against in splitting his first two starts of the season.

Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins (2-1-1, 2.69 GAA) made 24 saves on Tuesday, while teammate Spencer Martin has yielded seven goals in facing 82 shots during the three games he has played this season.

Montreal's Cole Caufield has three goals and three assists through six games but has just one of each in four career contests vs. Columbus.

Meanwhile, teammate Nick Suzuki is still looking for his first goal after posting back-to-back seasons of recording at least 20. He has three with eight assists in nine games against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus' own star Johnny Gaudreau will try to avoid going without a goal in the first seven games of the season for the first time in his career. He has just two goals in 12 career games at Montreal.

Montreal announced Tuesday that defenseman David Savard could miss up to eight weeks with a broken hand.