Kirill Marchenko extends 12-game points streak with shootout winner against Montreal Canadiens

Kirill Marchenko extends 12-game points streak with shootout winner against Montreal Canadiens, etching his name deeper into Columbus Blue Jackets folklore on a frosty Monday night at Nationwide Arena. The 25-year-old Russian winger snapped a 3-3 deadlock in the seventh round of the shootout, roofing a forehand over Sam Montembeault’s glove to keep both his personal streak and the Jackets’ faint playoff hopes alive. The dramatic finish capped a seesaw affair in which Marchenko also collected a primary assist on Zach Werenski’s tying goal with 2:04 left in regulation, giving him eight goals and ten assists during the dozen-game heater.

The victory lifts Columbus to 20-15-4, four points behind Detroit for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, it extends Marchenko’s career-best run that began on November 1 against Buffalo and now stands as the longest by any Blue Jacket since Artemi Panarin’s 13-gamer in 2018-19. “It’s not just the points,” coach Pascal Vincent said post-game. “It’s the timing—every shift he finds a way to tilt the ice.”

How Kirill Marchenko extends 12-game points streak with shootout winner against Montreal Canadiens

Montreal arrived on a three-game win streak of their own, yet had no answer for Marchenko in the extra session. After five consecutive saves by Elvis Merzļikins and Montembeault, Marchenko skated in slowly, froze the goalie with a shoulder fake, and went bar-down to ignite a sold-out crowd. The tally was his third shootout winner of the season, tying him with Toronto’s William Nylander for the league lead.

The moment was months in the making. Over the summer Marchenko worked with skills coach Vladimir Filatov on deceptive release points, a tweak that has helped him score on 25 % of his shootout attempts this year compared to 11 % last season. “I watch a lot of (Nikita) Kucherov clips,” Marchenko admitted. “He hides the puck until the last second; I try to copy that.”

Breakdown of the 12-game surge

Since the streak began, Marchenko ranks tied for fourth in the NHL in points (18), trailing only Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov. His line, centered by Boone Jenner and flanked by rookie Dmitri Voronkov, has out-scored opponents 14-5 at five-on-five. Key numbers:

• 8 goals on 38 shots (21 % shooting)
• 10 assists, 6 of them primary
• Average ice time up 2:42 per game to 19:07
• Power-play points: 4 (2 G, 2 A)

The run actually began quietly—an empty-net helper in Buffalo—but escalated fast. He ripped four goals in a two-game set against Seattle and Vancouver, then posted back-to-back three-point nights versus Tampa Bay and the Rangers. Monday’s helper on Werenski’s slapper was his first point surrendered by Montreal in 120 minutes of regulation this season.

What the underlying metrics say

A deeper dive shows the streak is no fluke. According to Natural Stat Trick, Marchenko’s individual expected goals (ixG) during the span sits at 7.1, meaning his eight goals are essentially right on expectation. His 63 shot attempts are second among Columbus forwards, trailing only Jenner, while his high-danger chances-for percentage has jumped from 48 % in October to 57 % in November-December.

Perhaps most impressive is his defensive engagement. Vincent has repeatedly praised Marchenko’s back-pressure, which has led to 21 stick-checks that directly transitioned the Jackets the other way. “He’s not waiting at the red line anymore,” assistant coach Steve McCarthy noted. “He’s hunting pucks, and that’s why he keeps getting them back.”

Montreal’s side of the story

The Canadiens will feel they deserved better. Nick Suzuki scored twice, including a power-play one-timer that gave Montreal a 3-2 lead midway through the third. Juraj Slafkovský added a slick wraparound for his 12th of the season, continuing his own coming-out campaign. Yet they managed only one shot in overtime and none in the shootout after Suzuki rang iron in round three.

Coach Martin St. Louis credited Marchenko bluntly: “We had three looks at him in the skills contest and still couldn’t read that hesitation move. That’s elite execution.” Montembeault finished with 37 saves, many of the spectacular variety, but took the loss nonetheless. The point still vaults Montreal over idle Philadelphia into seventh in the Atlantic, yet the mood in the room was subdued. “We wanted both,” Suzuki said. “We’re sick of moral victories.”

Historical context within the franchise

Marchenko’s 12-game streak is already tied for the third-longest in Blue Jackets history. The top five:

1. Artemi Panarin – 13 games (2018-19)
2. Ryan Johansen – 13 games (2014-15)
3. Kirill Marchenko – 12 games (2024-25) *
4. Cam Atkinson – 12 games (2017-18)
5. Brandon Saad – 11 games (2016-17)

*Active

Panarin’s run produced 23 points; Marchenko is at 18 with at least one game remaining before the holiday break. Should he record a point Thursday in New Jersey, he’ll match the franchise mark—and few would bet against him. The Russian winger has already surpassed his rookie total (21 G) in 39 games this season and is on pace for 42 goals, which would shatter Rick Nash’s single-season record of 41 set in 2003-04.

What comes next for Columbus

The schedule does Columbus no favors. After Thursday’s tilt with the Devils, they host Boston on Saturday before a three-game Canadian swing that includes dates with powerful Winnipeg and surging Toronto. Still, the Jackets have banked points in eight of their last ten (7-2-1) and are getting healthier—Patrik Laine skated in a non-contact jersey Monday and could return before Christmas.

Vincent isn’t looking that far ahead. “We’ve got to keep our habits,” he stressed. “When Kirill is on the ice, good things happen, but we can’t lean on one guy.” The coach’s even-keel approach mirrors the locker room’s mood. Veteran Sean Kuraly called the streak “a nice story, yet stories end if you take your foot off the gas.”

League-wide ripple effects

Around the NHL, Marchenko’s eruption is drawing notice. Scouts from Dallas and Colorado were spotted in the press box Monday, fueling speculation that Columbus could be an unexpected buyer if the right top-four defenseman becomes available. General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen has never been shy about bold moves—remember the Matt Duchene rental in 2019—and with more than $9 million in cap space next summer, the Jackets have flexibility.

On the player side, Marchenko’s rise is another data point in the Russian development pipeline. He joins Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov and Andrei Svechnikov as wings who spent post-draft seasons in the KHL before exploding in North America. “The pace over there is tactical,” Marchenko explained. “When you come here, everything is faster but you already think the game slow. That combination helps.”

Fan reaction and market buzz

Inside Nationwide Arena, the “Marchen-ko” chants that began in the third period morphed into a full-throated roar after the shootout winner. Social media lit up instantly; #Marchenko12 began trending across Ohio, while the team’s online store sold out of his navy alternate jersey within 30 minutes. Local brewery Land-Grant even released a limited-edition IPA named “Streak Sniper” that will debut at Thursday’s watch-party.

For a market that has seen only one playoff series victory since 2017, the excitement is understandable. Season-ticket renewals for 2025-26 are reportedly up 18 % compared to this time last year, a spike the club attributes in part to the electrifying winger. “He’s must-see TV,” said longtime fan Megan O’Brien, who drove in from Athens, Ohio. “We haven’t had a finisher like this since Bread (Panarin) left.”

Key takeaway as the season rolls on

Kirill Marchenko extends 12-game points streak with shootout winner against Montreal Canadiens, but the larger narrative is Columbus discovering a star capable of driving results in the clutch. With every goal, assist and viral celebration, the 25-year-old tilts the franchise trajectory toward relevance—and perhaps, finally, toward a spring that matters. The streak will end eventually; the confidence and credibility he’s building may not.