Viktor Arvidsson had three assists in regulation and scored the deciding goal in the shootout as the Boston Bruins rallied from a 3-0 third-period deficit for a 4-3 win against the Blue Jackets on Sunday in Columbus.
Pavel Zacha tied the score 3-3 with 11 seconds remaining in the third period when he scored a power-play goal off a scramble in front during 6-on-4 play.
Zacha had two goals and an assist, and Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (42-24-8, 92 points), who are 5-1 in their past six games and four points ahead of Columbus for the first Eastern Conference wild card into the playoffs. Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves.
Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (38-23-12, 88 points), who have lost four of five (1-3-1). Kirill Marchenko had two assists, and Jet Greaves made 35 saves.
Boston’s David Pastrnak saw his point streak end at 12 games.
Boone Jenner, playing in his 800th NHL game, gave Columbus a 1-0 lead at 6:17 of the first period. After Conor Garland stole the puck in his own zone, he entered the offensive zone 2-on-2 and dropped the puck back to Jenner, who beat Swayman with a glove-side wrister from the slot.
Marchment made it 2-0 at 7:45 when he deflected Ivan Provorov’s shot from the point past Swayman from in front.
Former Bruin Charlie Coyle increased the lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 19:32. He took a cross-ice pass from Marchenko, skated down into the right circle and scored on a wrist shot.
McAvoy broke the ice for Boston at 6:29 of the third period when his wrist shot from the right point trickled between Greaves’ pads.
Zacha pulled the Bruins within 3-2 with a power-play goal at 8:43 when he deflected McAvoy’s point shot past Greaves.
In the shootout, Fraser Minten scored for Boston in the first round and Coyle for Columbus in the third round before Arvidsson followed and clinched the victory for the Bruins.
Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier (upper-body injury) left the game in the second period.
Referee Francis Charron left the game in the second period after getting hit with a slap shot.
–Field Level Media
