Final Score: Blue Jackets 5 – Bruins 4
Game Summary
Even with about half their team missing the Bruins are still a very dangerous team. Their depth of talent is pretty remarkable. They took it to the Jackets dominating the shot counter 38-25 and the Corsi’s at 62.67%. The Jackets though were somehow able to find a way to score five goals and steal two points in Boston.
Joonas Korpisalo got the start and even though he allowed four goals he played pretty well. He made some absolutely massive saves to keep this game from getting out of hand early on. He gave the Jackets a chance to make a comeback in the third period and then kept the game tied with a big save late in the game.
The Jackets got the first goal of game and it came again from that second line.
We had a little bit of a role reversal here, Alexander Wennberg is the one is hard on the puck carrier, he gets the puck over to Thomas Vanek, Vanek makes a quick pass to Boone Jenner and it’s in the back of the net. That is Jenner’s fourth straight game with a goal and extends his point streak to six games.
The Jackets carried that 1-0 lead into the first intermission. However they were not able to hold that lead as the dreaded second period returned. The Jackets had a 41.67% Corsi at 5 on 5 in the middle frame, which remarkably was their best period of the night. The Bruins scored three straight goals in the period to turn that 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. The Jackets answered late in the period to give them life. Sonny Milano put home a ridiculous slap-pass from Ryan Murray.
There was some debate over whether was Murray was trying to do that or not. They showed on the reply and he is looking at Milano the entire time. He definitely meant to do this. He confirmed post-game that he made eye-contact with Milano and saw him put his stick there. This was a common play from him back in his WHL days with the Everett Silvertips. He doesn’t get many opportunities to do that in the NHL but my or my when he does it’s a thing of beauty.
With how poor the Jackets were playing they needed to be perfect on the chances that they did get and they certainly were. Murray makes a great play there, and then Vanek tied the game with an equally as nice play, tipping the Markus Nutivaara shot.
This is a gorgeous tip. Not only is he able to get the tip on net, he puts it top shelf. Tuukka Rask has no chance on that. As the tweet says that was Vanek’s 20th goal of the season. The multi-point game gives him a three game point streak and seven points in his last six.
The Jackets fourth goal came off another very nice play. This time it was off the face-off with Nick Foligno getting the puck over to Artemi Panarin.
I don’t know how fast this goal actually was but it reminded me of the 0.9 second overtime goal scored by the L.A. Kings against the Bruins from earlier in the season. Foligno wins the draw to the side and Panarin with his release gets that shot off in a hurry.
The Bruins answered that goal 20 seconds later to tie the game. There was still around half a period to play and there were some very exciting moments in those minutes, but I think both teams were content to get a point out of this game. Both teams for sure would have loved to win in regulation, the Jackets certainly could have used the regulation win for the tiebreaker, but it was beneficial for each team to grab a point and take their chances in overtime.
In overtime Cam Atkinson was the hero scoring his fourth game winning goal and 17th of the season.
Murray makes another good pass to set this up.
The win helps the Jackets keep pace with the Flyers who won on Sunday. It puts them three up on New Jersey and six up on Florida, though the Panthers still have three games in hand. The Jackets are right back at it tonight as they are in New York to take on the Rangers.
Stat of the Night
Stats courtesy of
Natural Stat Trick and
Hockey-Reference.
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