David Pastrnak scored two goals in a wild third period to give the Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets in Game 5 of their best-of-7 playoff series. The B’s can clinch the series in Game 6 on Monday night in Columbus.
BOSTON - David Pastrnak scored two third-period goals, the second with 1:28 remaining in regulation, to give the Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5 of their best-of-seven playoff series on Saturday night at TD Garden.
The Bruins, ahead 3-2, can clinch the series In Game 6 on Monday night at Nationwide Arena (7:05, NBCSN, WBZ-FM 98.5).
A tight goaltender’s duel between Tuukka Rask (33 saves) and Sergei Bobrovsky (32) went off the rails in the last half of the third period.
The Blue Jackets cut the Bruins’ lead to 2-1 at 10:33, after a lengthy review proved that Seth Jones’ shot had deflected off Matt Grzelck’s stick and crossed the goal line just inside the near post.
The B’s shook that off just 43 seconds later. Following Rask’s in-tight stop on Nick Foligno, the Bruins charged out of their defensive zone on an odd-man rush. Brad Marchand gave the puck to Pastrnak, who held it into the left circle and then snapped a shot past Bobrovksy’s right pad at 11:16.
That 3-1 lead was gone by the 14-minute mark. Ryan Dzingel made it 3-2 at 12:07, and Dean Kukan wired a one-timer past Rask with six minutes to go to make it 3-3..
The Bruins carried a 1-0 lead into the third period, even though the Blue Jackets tested Rask more frequently in the second period (15 shots on goal) than they had in the first (eight).
David Krejci broke the scoreless tie at 1:39.
The scoring play began when David Backes, back-checking during a line change, stole a Blue Jackets pass just outside the Bruins' blue line, then carried the puck into the offensive zone on the left wing. Backes dropped it for Jake DeBrusk, who hit Krejci entering the rush late. Krejci, fighting a rolling puck and a stick check, managed to get off a weak shot that squeezed between Sergei Bobrovsky’s pads as he dropped to his knees
The assist was the second in as many games for Backes, who had been a healthy scratch for five consecutive games before entering this series in Game 4. It was Backes’ third point (all assists) in six games this post-season.
The Bruins boosted their lead to 2-0 at 4:51 of the second period. Marchand scored it on his second shot from below the right circle, after rookie defenseman Connor Clifton carried the puck down the left wall, cut along the goal line, and got a pass through the crease.
Noel Acciari, who had played all 11 games prior to Saturday, was scratched with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced on the fourth line by Chris Wagner, who had been scratched in Games 3 and 4 after playing the first two games of the series on the third line.
The Bruins had a territorial and possession edge in the first 20 minutes. Their shots on goal advantage was only 9-8, but they launched 21 shots in all to the Blue Jackets’ 12.
After going 2 for 6 to break a power play drought in Game 4, however, the Bruins came up empty on a pair in the first period. With a penalty of their own thrown in, the sides were 5 on 4 for nearly all of a stretch that lasted from 9:03 to 15:53, which left the Bruins’ lines disorganized for much of the final
The Bruins, 4 for 4 on the penalty kill in Game 4, denied the Blue Jackets on their only first-period power play, with Charlie McAvoy sent off for tripping at 11:35.