Watch CBS News

Bruins Beat Blue Jackets 7-2

BOSTON (AP) — Jake DeBrusk set up second-period power-play goals by David Backes and Charlie McAvoy and added a goal of his own, Tuukka Rask stopped 16 shots to keep up his hot stretch, and the Boston Bruins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-2 on Monday night.

Brad Marchand, Danton Heinen, Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins, who had a season-high scoring total while halting a two-game skid. Rask improved to 6-0-1 in his last seven starts. McAvoy also had an assist and his first career NHL fight.

Josh Anderson and Seth Jones scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 38 saves — including a penalty shot by Tim Schaller — for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus lost for the third in four games and was dominated in the first two periods when they fell into a 3-0 hole.

Leading 1-0 in the second, DeBrusk made his two very nice cross-ice passes, helping the Bruins converted on consecutive power plays just over five minutes apart.

On the first, DeBrusk skated deep down the left wing and sent a pass across to Backes, who one-timed a shot into the net.

DeBrusk then set up McAvoy's goal with a pass across the slot from the bottom of the right circle. McAvoy one-timed it into the net before Bobrovsky could get to the other side of the crease.

The Bruins owned a 28-14 edge in shots on goal after two periods, dictating play for most of the game. Columbus had just one shot on goal by a forward in the opening period.

Anderson converted a feed from Alexander Wennberg 8:32 into the third, but Heinen scored to seal it.

Rask made a solid pad stop on Cam Atkinson's partial breakaway with the Bruins on a power play early in the second.

Marchand made it 1-0 when he one-timed a drop pass from Bergeron inside the right post for his 14th goal with 5:12 left in the first.

Earlier in the period, Schaller missed a wide-open net when he hit the left post on a rebound with Bobrovsky out of position.

NOTES: McAvoy also got into a fight in the third period. Injured Bruins D Adam McQuaid watched the replay on a TV in the press box, smiled and said: "He just needs an assist now," referring to a Gordie Howe hat trick of a goal, assist and a fight. ... Marchand has at least a point in a career-high nine straight games after missing his previous six with an injury. ... Boston C David Krejci was sidelined with an upper body injury and wasn't expected to travel to Buffalo. ... Columbus LW Markus Hannikainen was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous three games. ... The teams face each other one more time this regular season — on March 19 in Boston. The Bruins lost the only other meeting; 4-3 in a shootout in Columbus on Oct. 30.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Host the Maple Leafs on Wednesday in the teams' first meeting this season.
Bruins: Travel to Buffalo and face the Sabres on Tuesday. They lost 5-4 in overtime at home on Oct. 21 in the only other matchup this season.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.