Blue Jackets at Bruins

The Boston Bruins are back … well, almost all of them.

Jeremy Swayman became the latest asterisk to the 2025-26 season when he was place on Injured Reserve, necessitating the recall of Michael DiPietro from Providence (AHL). So Joonas Korpisalo got the first start since the Olympic break, as the Bruins faced a Columbus team breathing down the Bruins’ neck.

Andrew Peeke is being kept out of the lineup tonight for Boston, as Coach Marco Sturm revives the Nikita Zadorov-Henri Jokiharju pairing. Who knows what it means with many pro scouts at every NHL game upon re-entry from the Olympics. Jordan Harris also a scratch on the blue line, and Alex Steeves up front. That last one has me thinking this is definitely about the trade market.

FIRST PERIOD

Columbus has gotten to its game faster than Boston. and Kirill Marchenko got a clean breakaway, beating Korpisalo with a snap shot low stick side for the game’s first goal at 4:32. The Blue Jackets peppered Korpisalo with several more clean chances in the ensuing minutes, but the bronze medalist was equal to the task.

One thing the Bruins need to get fixed in the immediate is their backcheck in the middle of the rink. Columbus is schooling the Bruins and making it look easy so far.

Marchenko tried to spot pass to himself around Henri Jokiharju, who achieved a strong checking position, took the puck and drew a hooking penalty on Marchenko at 10:38 of the first period. Bruins to the powerplay …

The Blue Jackets get the kill, but the Bruins’ fourth line of Sean Kuraly between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic generated Boston’s best chance of the game.

The Jackets came roaring back, but Korpisalo read perfectly Mason Marchment’s cross-ice feed to Adam Fantilli. Those two assisted on linemate Marchenko’s early goal.

Casey Mittelstadt went to the net, and Viktor Arvidsson’s shot from the dead area between the half wall and right point broke past Elvis Merzlikins, making it a 1-1 game with 4:09 left in the first. Big strike for Boston.

Mikey Eyssimont to the penalty box for high-sticking with 2:09 left in the period.

Good powerplay for Columbus, just not good enough.

Period ends, 1-1.

The Blue Jackets outshot the Bruins 20-10, but their edge in quality chances was more lopsided. The Bruins have work to do.

SECOND PERIOD

The Bruins need to make strides – no pun intended – toward their, two-way checking game in order to come out of this one victorious.

Miles Wood runs over Korpisalo. Zadorov gets in his face behind the net but relents on throwing down, and Wood goes to the penalty box alone a 6:13 of the second. It’s a Bruins powerplay …

Also at this time: DiPietro replaces Korpisalo in the Boston net with 13:47 left in the second period.

Geekie scores on the powerplay, a one-timer from David Pastrnak at 6:54 of the second, 2-1 Bruins. Charlie Coyle had picked off Geekie’s pass from the left half wall across toward the right point at the start of the powerplay, and Coyle got a backhand away that DiPietro blocked.

DiPietro came up with a save on a bobbling puck in the ensuing shift, the vulnerable shift as the great Jack Edwards coined it on NESN.

Kastelic outfoxed Denton Mateychuk to control a 50/50 puck, but his shot sizzled wide of the right post.

Korpisalo returns to the net after the 12-minute mark.

Big chance for CLB, but they miss the open side on the rebound.

Arvidsson and Pavel Zacha get chops in tight, but Merzlikins stays in front of everything.

Big save Korpisalo on Marchenko, the lone CLB goal scorer.

Better second for the Bruins. Shots 9-8 Columbus, 29-18 for the game.

Still need a big third to get out of here with the win, as the Blue Jackets have been the better team tonight.

THIRD PERIOD

Korpisalo is back in net to start the third period.

Scary look for Fantilli from the let circle – he missed.

Marchment is going to the box at 8:31 for slashing Fraser Minten, whom the Blue Jackets harassed after the call in an implied charge of embellishment. Minten had gloved down a high puck and took a chop from Marchment. The Jackets didn’t like it. Minten didn’t like being pushed around, and he and Eyssimont had plenty to say back, Minten to Damon Severson in particular.

Columbus gets the mandatory kill, still 2-1 Bruins as we reach the midway point of the third when former Blue Jackets leader Sean Kuraly breaks down left wing and places a half-slap past Merzlikins to make it 3-1 with 8:45 remaining. Assist from Jeannot.

[One thing we neglected to note early on is former Boston University teammate of Charlie McAvoy Dante Fabbro is in the lineup for Columbus. He’s only played 13:13, which places him sixth out of six. Jokiharju, whom the Bruins signed at the 11th hour before the market opened to free agents, has played 15:07 of this one.]

Fantilli scores off the rush from the slot with 6:15 remaining in regulation, making it 3-2 Boston, and suddenly this one is back to being a nailbiter.

No doubt, the Blue Jackets like their game tonight, and Coach Rick Bowness don’t want to let this one go quietly.

Korpisalo on Zach Werenski, who shared in the early-game gold-medal recognition to the cheers of the Boston crowd.

Pastrnak goes down hard, covered in snow, the crowd roars its disapproval.

Werenski is like a master yo-yo operator out there, collecting and distributing the puck.

Merzlikins to the bench with two minutes, and all Blue Jackets in the Boston end. Korpisalo ties up the puck, and Bowness uses his one and only with 1:32. Bruins get it, they shoot for the net and take the icing. Soft dumps not in the playbook.

Old friend Charlie Coyle (also serenaded by the Garden crowd in the first period), beat Elias Lindholm on the draw, but the Bruins get it. Next one, Lindholm draws back, but the Jackets get it, and Pastrnak makes a huge block on a Marchenko one-timer.

46.8 left.

Zacha left shot taking the draw in the LW circle, not good, and he loses it to Sean Monahan, but the Bruins recover, and Arvidsson makes no mistake, 4-2.

Bruins steal a big one tonight upon their re-entry.

This might become the first game in NHL history in which the first star is a goalie on the winning team but not the winning goalie.

Drive safely and watch out for black ice as the melting rivers freeze on our streets and sidewalks.