COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A tough season for David Desharnais finally produced a bright spot. Desharnais scored in the shootout -- the only time he has found the net all season -- and Peter Budaj stopped all three shots he faced in the tiebreaker to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. "You know what? He played well," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said of Desharnais, the fifth-year pro who has one assist in 17 games this season. "He started on the fourth line and I saw his intensity in practice this week. "Im really glad for him and his confidence that he ended up scoring the goal in the shootout." Desharnais had been contributing so little that he was a healthy scratch in two of the previous four games. But he had a good percentage in shootouts last season, and that was enough for Therrien to send him out. Desharnais took his turn after the first three shooters were stopped. He came in and netted a hard forehand on Curtis McElhinneys stick side. "He had a quick release there," McElhinney said. "Shootouts are always difficult ways to end games." Budaj, giving starter Carey Price a night off before the Canadiens face the New York Rangers at home on Saturday night, had earlier stopped Mark Letestu and Anisimov. He blocked Ryan Johansens forehand attempt to clinch the win. Budaj, who had 23 saves, said Desharnais finally got repaid for his hard work. "David works so hard. Nobody sees that," Budaj said. "It has been tough for him, but he stayed the course like a true professional and kept working hard. The coach put him there, and he was ready. His hard work paid off. He made a big, big goal for us." Montreals regulation goals were scored by Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller. R.J. Umberger and Artem Anisimov had first-period goals for the Blue Jackets. McElhinney made 38 saves. The game pitted teams that have been struggling. The Canadiens had lost five of six (1-3-2), and the Blue Jackets have now dropped eight of nine (1-6-2) -- although they have earned at least a point in their last four games. "Were doing a lot of good things. I think thats maybe the frustrating part," forward Nick Foligno said. "There just seems to be that lull, that little moment in the game where we give them a chance to come back or we let them hang around. We had a 2-0 game. Youve got to find a way to hold that lead." The Blue Jackets took that two-goal lead in the first period, one on a gift, but then helped give one back in the final seconds. The first came at 15:33 when Umberger was at the short boards on the left wing and fired a shot that Budaj missed because of a screen in front to make it 1-0. Columbus continued to pressure, and David Savards slap shot from the top of the right circle clanged off the post. Seconds later, Anisimov took a backhand swing at a loose puck that appeared to ramp off a Canadiens stick. The puck sailed high, and with Jared Boll on his back in the crease while bumping into Budaj, the puck lazily bounced into the net. After the Blue Jackets Jack Johnson and Montreals Brandon Prust went off with concurrent penalties, the Canadiens scored a goofy goal. Columbus defenceman Fedor Tyutin whiffed twice on a bouncing puck at the blue line, and Galchenyuk swooped in to beat McElhinney with a forehand with just 8 seconds left in the period. The Canadiens tied it on the power play at 7:34 of the second. They had gotten several prime opportunities on their first attempt with a man advantage. This time Daniel Briere had a clear shot from the high slot, but McElhinney blocked it. The rebound squirted off to the right doorstep where Eller jammed it in under McElhinneys right arm for his seventh goal. Budaj never let the Blue Jackets regain the lead. "Theres a disconnect somewhere," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "Weve talked about it a lot. In the first period we execute, do the right things, have some success, and then we abandon it." NOTES: The Blue Jackets sustained a major blow Friday when it was announced RW Marian Gaborik will miss 4-to-6 weeks after spraining his left knee in a 3-2 overtime loss at Boston on Thursday. ... LW Prust returned to the Montreal lineup after missing 11 games with a shoulder injury. ... Columbus LW Matt Calvert, who has missed several weeks after abdominal surgery, and rookie C Boone Jenner, who missed his ninth game with a leg injury, are both skating. They could be available when the Blue Jackets start a season-high, five-game road trip on Sunday at Ottawa. ... Montreal killed 36 seconds of 3-on-5 in the first period. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys . But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play. Cheap MLB Jerseys From China . Dr. James Andrews is to operate next week on the 24-year-old pitcher, who made the AL All-Star team last year. Moore will be the first Rays pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery since Jason Isringhausen in June 2009. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/. The 24-year-old Pruneau played his CIS football with the Montreal Carabins. The six-foot, 200-pound Montreal native had 41 tackles, 3. Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan. Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys .com) - Brad Stuart has yet to play a regular-season game for the Colorado Avalanche, but that didnt deter the club from signing the veteran defenseman to a two-year contract extension on Monday.TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona coach Bruce Arians says safety Tyrann Mathieu has a fractured left thumb and doctors are determining whether he will require surgery.Arians says the best-case scenario is for Mathieu to have the thumb in a cast and be able to play next Sunday against Kansas City. The worst case scenario is for doctors to put a pin in the thumb, sidelining him for three weeks.Mathieu wass among four Cardinals hurt in their 29-17 loss at Atlanta on Sunday.ddddddddddddArians says running back Andre Ellington has a hip pointer and probably wont be able to practice on Wednesdays. He usually takes Wednesdays off anyway because of his injured foot.Right guard Paul Fanaika and left tackle Jared Veldheer have sprained ankles and their status for Sunday is uncertain. ' ' '