Bruins Postgame: Turnstile Bruins Lose 5-2 To Blue Jackets

The Boston Bruins continued to be a team-wide turnstile on the ice and lost their third straight game, falling 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Bruins Postgame:

CLUTCH: Yegor Chinakhov was a beast for the Blue Jackets on Monday night. The 22-year-old third-year forward came into this game with just a goal and an assist in 11 games thus far but found the offensive side of his game and finished with a goal and an assist. The 6-foot-1 204-pound winger assisted on Dmitri Voronkov’s fourth goal of the season at 15:52 of the first period. Chicakhov then put the Blue Jackets up 3-0 with his second goal of the season at 16:42 of the middle frame.

Yegor Chinakhov capitalizes to extend the @BlueJacketsNHL lead! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/hQF6zalDlL

— NHL (@NHL) November 28, 2023

BANGER: Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner was a wrecking ball for his team on Monday night, finishing with six hits.

DOGHOUSE: As the Bruins have spiraled into their first slump of the season, team defense has constantly been in the doghouse here, and with good reason. The Bruins have been a mess in the neutral zone and in their own end as well. That was the case again on Monday night. While their head coach, Jim Montgomery, has done everything – including goalie Jeremy Swayman in favor of Linus Ullmark 6:14 into the second period – to snap them out of this defensive and mental funk, what has the leadership core and, more specifically, captain Brad Marchand done to turn his team’s fortunes around?

Marchand has been invisible on the stat sheet, with no points in his last four games, but equally as important is that he has not led with his play. Marchand’s biggest strength is his motor and ability to up his team’s pace and tempo when he leads by example. That, too, has been invisible, and it’s time for the captain to be more present.

UNSUNG HERO: While Marchand can definitely lead more, alternate captain Charlie McAvoy could pick things up in that department as well, and after taking a nasty spill into the boards 12:49 into the second period, he did lead more. McAvoy’s physical presence picked up as he finished with one hit, and he also assisted on Matt Poitras’ fifth goal of the season 8:24 into the third period.

Matt Poitras nets his fifth goal of the season.

pic.twitter.com/o0yEMFqgCp

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) November 28, 2023

KEY STAT: The Boston Bruins have now allowed five goals for three games straight for the first time since March 2012 and in four of their last five games.

Bruins Lineup:

Forwards

Brad Marchand-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak

James van Riemsdyk-Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic

Jake DeBrusk-Matt Poitras-Danton Heinen

Jakub Lauko-John Beecher-Morgan Geekie

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Jeremy Swayman

Linus Ullmark