BOSTON – The Bruins had been talking for weeks about the importance of establishing home dominance at TD Garden this season after last year’s well-chronicled struggles.
This week it’s gone from welcomed action to idle talk, however, as they reeled off five straight goals in a 5-2 win over a tired Columbus Blue Jackets crew at the Garden. The Thursday night win arrived just a couple of days after the Bruins trounced the Buffalo Sabres on home ice as well, and have started making home ice a bit more of a difficult place to play.
BRUINS 5, BLUE JACKETS 2:
- Highlights: Boston Bruins 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
- Balanced scoring leads the way for Bruins vs. Blue Jackets
- Beleskey on first goal of season: 'Great feeling to get that first one'
- Talking Points: Krug goal kicks off Bruins scoring spree
The Blue Jackets actually jumped on the board first with a Nick Foligno goal courtesy of a Zdeno Chara turnover, but it was all Black and Gold all the time for the next 40 minutes.
Five goals from five different players including a couple of scores from the previously struggling third line really gave Boston’s attack some diversified layers. It all started with Torey Krug and Matt Beleskey both scoring their first goals of the season within 68 seconds of each other to seize the lead away from Columbus, and then Austin Czarnik and Tim Schaller added their own goals within 24 seconds of each other later in the period.
The Schaller goal was actually missed by the referees on the ice, but a subsequent video review showed that the New Hampshire native’s backhand attempt went over the goal line before it hit the rear pipe and rocketed right back out of the net. David Krejci and Ryan Spooner teamed up on the fore-check to cause a Zach Werenksi turnover, and that led to David Backes’ first goal since coming back from his elbow injury.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins allowed another goal to Columbus in the latter moments of the third period, but that couldn’t take any of the shine away from Boston’s resounding win in their third game played over the last four nights.