Well, that was eventful.
The Blue Jackets were conscious about having a better start to this game, especially after three straight games where their opponent started on time.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F/SO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| BRUINS | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
John Tortorella talked about it before the game, then made significant lineup changes to shake things up. The Blue Jackets used 11 forwards and seven defensemen, scratching two regular members of their fourth line (Sonny Milano and Zac Dalpe) and inserting Scott Harrington on the blue line.
At the start, they were good.
David Savard scored 1:59 into the game, Boone Jenner scored his first of the season late in the period, and the Blue Jackets led 2-0 after 20 minutes. For a team that needed to get out of its own way early in the game, Columbus did well to keep it simple and direct against a Bruins team that likes to play a similar style.
How about Motte? Markus Nutivaara hit him with a sublime stretch pass in the second period, and Motte beat Tuukka Rask between the pads to make it 3-0, Blue Jackets. Bonus: Sergei Bobrovsky was credited with the eighth assist of his career on the goal.
It was then that the Bruins counterpunched, especially at 5-on-5, which led to their power play goal from Patrice Bergeron late in the second.
The Blue Jackets had chances in the third period — including two great looks for Artemi Panarin — but Boston made them pay. Torey Krug and Brad Marchand scored goals 1:21 apart midway through the third period to erase a 3-0 deficit and pull even.
An exciting 3-on-3 overtime period didn't produce a winner. In the shootout, Tortorella went with Alexander Wennberg and two snipers, Panarin and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and the shooters did their job to seal the deal while Bobrovsky stopped Kenny Agostino and Brad Marchand. The Blue Jackets completed their best October in team history, improving to 8-4-0.
Injury Update
Cam Atkinson briefly took part in the pre-game warmup but was scratched with a lower body injury. He's listed as day-to-day.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets are off until Thursday when they visit the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center. Game time is 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Ohio and FS GO.
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
