New year, same result.
James van Riemsdyk had three points with a goal and two assists to lead the Boston Bruins over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 and their fourth straight win on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.
James van Riemsdyk recorded his first three-point outing in a Boston uniform to help the @NHLBruins overtake the Rangers for top spot in the League standings.#NHLStats: https://t.co/M3bpZmUWWl pic.twitter.com/0XQFfw3mfr
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 3, 2024
Kevin Shattenkirk, Danton Heinen, and Trent Frederic scored.
Matt Grzelcyk, Charlie Coyle, Jake DeBrusk, and Hampus Lindholm picked up the assists. Coyle is on a four-game point streak (three goals, three assists). DeBrusk is on a four-game point streak (two goals, four assists).
Linus Ullmark made 25 saves.
Kent Johnson scored for Columbus.
Ivan Provorov and Dmitri Voronkov added assists. Voronkov is on a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists).
Spencer Martin made his third consecutive start against the Bruins this season and made 22 saves. It was his first start since Dec. 7. He came in relief on Dec. 29 and picked up the win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Kent Johnson Scores
Johnson's sixth goal of the season tied the game 1-1 in the second period at 4:06. Provorov and Voronkov assisted on the goal. In the video below, you'll see where Voronkov took Hampus Lindholm out of the play before Johnson fired home his sixth.
Johnson from Provorov and Voronkov. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/46mLYgsuwa
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 3, 2024
The tally answered the Bruins' goal at 2:12.
For Johnson, it's his second goal in three games, and both goals — the other against the Maple Leafs on Dec. 29 — are his only points since his two-point effort against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 19.
Coby Maeir wrote about Johnson's impact on the Blue Jackets even when he's not lighting the lamp.
Chinakhov was temporarily replaced by Johnson in the second period after being on the receiving end of a big hit in the first period.
Finding That Compete
That was the thing for the third period for Columbus.
The Blue Jackets outshot the Bruins 12-5 in a scoreless first period. Then Boston outshot the Jackets 13-3 in the second period as both teams traded goals, and the Bruins skated off with a 2-1 lead through 40.
Columbus had a 6-2 edge in shots inside the first seven minutes of the third period before Heinen's goal at 7:29 made it a 3-1 game, and Frederic scored at 15:55 to make it a 4-1 game.
That was that.
Ullmark wasn't tested much. Adam Fantilli led the Jackets with four shots, co-leading the game with Heinen in that category.
The Bruins were 1-for-3 on the power play with five shots. Columbus was 0-for-1.
Bruins Take Season Series
The Bruins took the season series 2-1-0 against Columbus with Tuesday's win.
The Blue Jackets took the first meeting 5-2 on Nov. 27 at Nationwide Arena. The Bruins took the second meeting 3-1 in Boston under a week later on Dec. 3. Columbus had a 1-0 lead entering the third period before Brad Marchand scored the natural hat trick.
Tonight's game was another close matchup before the two third-period goals put the game on ice for the Bruins.
The Jackets have surrendered 63 third-period goals and entered the day last in the league in that area.
David Pastrnak is fourth in the NHL in points (50) and was held pointless in all three games against the Blue Jackets. Columbus is the first team to do that since the Tampa Bay Lightning kept Pastrnak without a point in 2015-16 (minimum of three games).
Brotherly Shove
Columbus travels to Philadelphia to battle the Flyers on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center.
