Bruins Wrap: Boston Snags Thrilling OT Win Over Blue Jackets

BOSTON — The Bruins found themselves back in the win column after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 in overtime Thursday night at TD Garden.

The Bruins improved their league-best record to 58-12-5, winning the Presidents’ Trophy, while the Blue Jackets fell to 23-44-7.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Despite being down early, Boston once again managed to find a way to come out victorious, and it didn’t take very long. Once the Bruins spotted their first window of opportunity, they flipped the momentum in their favor for good.

The B’s, who went scoreless in the opening period of the night, capitalized on their very first power play opportunity, which came courtesy of a two-minute cross-checking penalty from Blue Jackets center Lane Pederson. Nearly a minute later, with 10:07 left in the frame, Tyler Bertuzzi evened the game up with a tip-in goal.

And thanks to the elite net defense from Linus Ullmark, which featured keeping Columbus off the scoreboard in the final two periods, Boston was positioned to supply the home crowd with the cherry on top. That’s when David Pastrnak entered the picture.

Just 41 seconds into overtime, Pastrnak sent the game into a final score.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Pastrnak supplied the game-decider, scoring less than a minute into the overtime period. It served as his 53rd goal of the season.

— Ullmark remained on-brand, saving 25-of-26 shots on goal to register his third consecutive 20-plus save night.

— Bertuzzi gave the Black and Gold new life with a second-period score.

WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the odds of Bertuzzi netting a goal at any point in the contest at +175 before Boston and Columbus squared off. The 28-year-old cleared those odds with some assistance from teammates Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy. A $100 wager placed on Bertuzzi would’ve resulted in a $275 total payout.

UP NEXT
The Bruins are off Friday before hitting the road to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Saturday afternoon matchup. Puck drop from PPG Paints Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and will be aired on ESPN.