The top line of the Boston Bruins is coming through at its biggest time in the 2019 NHL playoffs. David Pastrnak scored with just 1:28 remaining on Saturday night, and Tuuka Rask made 33 saves to lead the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in game five of an Eastern Conference semifinal series at TD Garden in Boston. The Bruins now lead the best of seven series 3-2.
Boston struck first at 1:39 of the second period when Jake Debrusk fed an open David Krejci in the right face off circle. Krejci beat Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with a quick wrist shot to make it 1-0. The Bruins took a two goal lead twice in the third period. Brad Marchand made it 2-0 when he cleaned up his own rebound off a cross ice pass from Connor Clifton at 4:51. Seth Jones got the Blue Jackets on the board at 10:33, scoring on a shot from the right corner off the stick of Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelyck. But just 43 seconds later Boston went up two again at 3-1 when Pastrnak scored his first of two in the period on two on one breakout, where he kept the puck and beat Bobrovsky from the left faceoff dot.
Columbus though wouldn’t go away. Ryan Dizingel took a pass on an odd man rush from Matt Duchene and roofed it on Rask at 12:07 to cut the deficit to just a goal. Artemi Panarin then found a wide open Dean Kukan high in the slot for a one timer that also beat Rask to tie the game 3-3 at 13:58. It was the first ever playoff goal for Kukan. The Jackets scored all three of their goals in 3:25 to even the score. The game winner came on a feed from Marchand. Marchand gathered a loose puck skated over the blue line and centered one for Pastrnak on the right wing, who re-directed the feed past Bobrovsky just inside the right faceoff circle to give Boston the win.
Marchand had a goal and two assists to lead all scorers on the night. Pastrnak had the two big third period goals and now has six in the playoffs. Bobrovsky made 32 saves in the loss for Columbus, who have dropped two straight in this series after losing just one game in their first seven playoff games. Both teams went 0-2 on the powerplay.
Boston has a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference finals when game six faces off in Columbus Monday night at 7 pm.
