BOSTON — Loui Eriksson and Matt Beleskey each scored two goals Monday night, but their Bruins fell two goals short in the finale of Boston’s season series with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Columbus scored three goals in the second period and two more, including an empty-netter, in the third to secure a 6-4 win at TD Garden.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Brandon Saad scored with 5:31 left to play in the third period to put the Blue Jackets ahead 5-3.
Continuing the trend from the Bruins’ previous game, the goal was a controversial one, as goaltender Jonas Gustavsson made an emphatic plea to the referee that he was interfered with. A loose stick belonging to defenseman Dennis Seidenberg appeared to hit Gustavsson shortly before the puck crossed the goal line, and Boston challenged the call.
Officials determined no rules had been broken on the play, however, and the goal stood.
Eriksson made things interesting when he scored to cut the deficit to one with 2:57 remaining, but Dalton Prout followed with an empty-netter to seal the deal for Columbus.
ANOTHER FOR ERIKSSON
Boone Jenner got the Blue Jackets on the board first with a power-play goal, but Eriksson lit the lamp just 15 seconds later to pull the Bruins even.
Columbus coach John Tortorella challenged the goal, arguing Eriksson interfered with goalie Joonas Korpisalo, but the referees upheld the call on the ice. The winger has eight goals in his last nine games and has 23 on the season, surpassing his 2014-15 season total of 22.
Torey Krug initially appeared to deserve credit for the goal, as he fired the shot that Eriksson deflected past Korpisalo. The defenseman, who has just three goals this season and hasn’t scored since Dec. 5, instead had to settle for a primary assist, with David Pastrnak picking up the secondary helper.
QUICK RESPONSE
Jenner’s second goal of the night put Columbus back ahead just 21 seconds into the second period, but Boston again responded, getting an equalizer from Beleskey less than three minutes later.
Beleskey tipped in a shot by defenseman Joe Morrow, who saw action for a second straight game after sitting out the previous three contest as a healthy scratch. Jimmy Hayes was credited with the secondary assist.
GUSTAVSSON STRUGGLES
The Blue Jackets finally were able to build a substantial lead after beating Gustavsson twice more before the end of the second period. William Karlsson made it 3-2 with an unassisted tally that beat Gustavsson glove-side, and Scott Hartnell followed by tipping in a Ryan Murray shot on the power play to extend the visitors’ advantage to two goals.
It was not the best of nights for Gustavsson, and it could have been worse, as the Blue Jackets hit three posts in the game.
NOT DEAD YET
Down two goals entering the third period, the Bruins mounted yet another comeback.
Beleskey began the rally with another tip-in goal less than three minutes into the frame. Kevan Miller and Morrow recorded assists on the play, giving the latter his second consecutive two-assist game.
Before Sunday’s win over the Dallas Stars, Morrow had recorded just three points (one goal, two helpers) in 22 games this season.
Miller then energized the Garden crowd by dropping the gloves with Blue Jackets winger Matt Calvert. Referees swooped in to break up the fight before either player could land a knockdown blow, but the Bruins defenseman got in several solid rights before the two were separated.
MARCHAND TOSSED
Brad Marchand’s night came to an early end when the Bruins winger was assessed a 10-minute misconduct with 4:16 remaining in the third period. The call came after Marchand fired the puck into the end boards out of frustration being called for playing it in the air with a high stick.
UP NEXT
The Bruins welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to town Wednesday in a game that could have playoff implications in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins’ entered Monday in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot, three points ahead of the ninth-place New Jersey Devils.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
