The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Boston Bruins 7-4 Tuesday night but had an embarrassing screwup late in the second period that could have cost them the game.
During a faceoff in the defensive zone, the Blue Jackets only put four players out on the ice for a five-on-five even-strength shift.
Two seconds later, they paid for it.
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Here’s what went down. Patrice Bergeron immediately won the faceoff, shoveling the puck into open ice for a hard-charging Brad Marchand. The rat immediately fired a wrist shot, beating Sergei Bobrovsky blocker side.
The goal narrowed the Blue Jackets lead to 5-4 going into the second intermission. After taking a 5-1 lead over Bruins, Columbus gave up three goals in five minutes.
The tally was Brad Marchand’s 30th of the season.
Zach Werenski, Seth Jones, Riley Nash, and Boone Jenner were the four CBJ skaters on the ice. If this was a normal shift for the third line, Nick Foligno should have been on the ice and was the missing forward.
#CBJ warmup lines, among the forwards:
Panarin-Dubois-Atkinson
Dzingel-Duchene-Anderson
Foligno-Jenner-Nash
Dubinsky-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) March 12, 2019
The Athletic’s Tom Reed was the first person to point out the flap.
#CBJ had just four players on the ice for the Bruins fourth goal. That’s from a faceoff. Wow
— Tom Reed (@treed1919) March 13, 2019
In the end, the goal didn’t matter as the Blue Jackets, fighting for their playoff lives, won 7-4.
I’m sure John Tortorella, upon reviewing the game tape, will handle this well tomorrow.
