Boston Bruins
Bruins Lose In Extra Time Again, 2-1 To Blue Jackets In OT
The Boston Bruins extended their point streak to nine games but also extended their winless streak in extra time to six games Thursday as they fell 2-1 in overtime to the Columbus Blue Jackets on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal 52 ticks into the extra frame. The Bruins held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period but a Sonny Milano goal 2:06 into the period tied the game at one and the two teams needed extra time to break the deadlock. Dubois broke in 2-on-1 with defenseman Seth Jones and took a beautiful feed from Jones to bury the one-timer by Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for the overtime winner.
It's @seth_jones3 to @18Dubois for the OT game-winner!#CBJ | @EASPORTSNHL pic.twitter.com/MkMIzIEz4L
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 3, 2020
After losing 3-2 in a shootout to the Devils Tuesday despite Jaro Halak making 42 saves, the Bruins wasted another brilliant performance from their goalie as Rask made 31 saves in the loss.
David Pastrnak scored the lone goal for the Bruins and became the first 30-goal scorer in the NHL this season.
Playing in just his 12th NHL game, Blue Jackets rookie goalie Elvis Merzlikins was played well enough to give his team a chance to win, making 25 saves and keeping the game close when it looked like the Bruins may have had a window to bust things open.
Bruins defensemen Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy both returned from upper-body injuries that kept them out three games each and center David Krejci returned from a lower-body injury that saw him miss just one game. Krug finished with an assist on the Pastrnak goal and played 20:39 while McAvoy had a rough night, finishing at a minus 2 in 25:00 TOI. Krejci was a minus 2 as well in 15:18.
The Bruins appeared to go down 1-0 early as Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist knocked in a loose puck amidst an array of bodies in front of Rask 17 seconds into the game. The Bruins challenged the goal though, saying that Rask was interfered with by Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno. They won the challenge and the score remained 0-0.
The two teams went on to play what was the fastest period in real time, at 40 minutes, this season for the Bruins as no penalties were called and there were only three more stoppages in play. After another fast first half of the second period in which the Blue Jackets killed off a Nick Foligno hooking call at 4:48, the Bruins lethal powerplay got another chance when Blue Jackets defenseman Dean Kukan got caught tripping Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk as DeBrusk entered the zone at 11:02.
This time, the Bruins powerplay wasted no time in making the Blue Jackets pay as Pastrnak rifled one home from the point for his 14th powerplay goal and a 1-0 Bruins lead. The goal extended the Bruins scoring streak on the man advantage to nine games and was the Bruins’ 11th goal on the man-advantage during that span. Krug and Patrice Bergeron got the helpers.
An absolute 🚀 for No. 30.@pastrnak96 | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/xqTJYnBIGw
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 3, 2020
The Bruins would take two penalties in the period, a McAvoy interference call at 12:36 and a tripping call on Bruins captain Zdeno Chara at 19:15 of the middle frame that would carry over into the third period. The Bruins killed off both penalties but let their guard down right after the Chara penalty was up and the Blue Jackets pounced. Former Boston College star Nathan Gerbe grabbed an errant clear around the boards by McAvoy down low and after some battling against the boards, Milano just sent it out in front and the puck went off Bruins defenseman Matt Grzlecyk and past Rask as the Blue Jackets tied the game 2:06 into the third period.
"Get pucks on net." – John Tortorella (multiple occasions) #CBJ pic.twitter.com/qRrTEFf2jh
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 3, 2020