National Hockey League
Boston 4, Columbus 0
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 28, 2024
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Referees: Eric Furlatt, Pierre Lambert
Linesmen: Shandor Alphonso, Michel Cormier
Attendance: 17850

Justin Brazeau scored only 2:29 into the first period, and the Boston Bruins never looked back in a 4-0 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets in the latter game of the teams' home-and-home series on Saturday night.

Morgan Geekie had one goal and one assist, while David Pastrnak and Cole Koepke also lit the lamp for Boston, which bounced back from a 6-2 loss in Columbus on Friday and improved to 5-1-1 in its last seven games.

Jeremy Swayman stopped all 18 shots he faced en route to his second shutout this season.

Bruins forward Fabian Lysell, who was recalled earlier in the day from AHL Providence, made his NHL debut. The 21-year-old former first-round draft pick had a plus-1 rating in 11:32 of ice time.

Daniil Tarasov (24 saves) took the loss in his first start since Dec. 5 for the Blue Jackets, who were shut out for only the second time this season and had a four-game point streak (3-0-1) snapped.

Boston had a 28-18 advantage in shots and, a night after surrendering three power-play goals, went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. That effort included erasing Mark Kastelic's double-minor for high-sticking in the second period.

Columbus had no more than seven shots in any period.

Brandon Carlo's point shot through traffic led to a rebound that Brazeau knocked home for the opening goal. Lysell did not get credit for an assist, but made a pass from deep in the corner that contributed to the goal.

After withstanding a Kirill Marchenko breakaway that led to an extended in-zone sequence in front of Swayman, the hosts made it a 2-0 game at the other end when Geekie got the puck off a turnover and sniped a shot high to Tarasov's glove side at 6:29 of the middle frame.

Pastrnak extended the Boston lead at 8:18, taking Geekie's pass from the defensive blue line into open space down the middle of the ice and burying a wrist shot from close range. He also clanked the post on another breakaway in the final minute of the second.

In the final frame, Koepke picked the stick-side corner of Tarasov's net from the right side to give the Bruins a 4-0 lead at the 6:06 mark.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Columbus   Boston
N/A Points Morgan Geekie 2
N/A Goals Morgan Geekie 1
N/A Assists Morgan Geekie 1
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Daniil Tarasov .857 Save Percentage Jeremy Swayman 1.000
Daniil Tarasov 24 Saves Jeremy Swayman 18
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Columbus 18 0 0-3 2-2 14 22
Boston 28 4 0-2 3-3 16 23
Upcoming Games
  • Boston will play their next game on the road against Washington. The Bruins have a W/L % of .421 after a win and .632 after a loss.
  • Columbus will play their next game at home against Carolina. The Blue Jackets have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .455 after a loss.