For the first time in six years the Boston Bruins are headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals. Tuuka Rask made 39 saves and David Krejci scored a second period goal to break a scoreless tie, to lead Boston to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio Monday night in game six of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston wins the series 4-2.
Boston had a goal by Sean Kuraly overturned at 8:53 of the first period on a coaches review and a goalie interference call. Finally after a scoreless 32:13, Krejci scored what turned out to be the game winner. Jake Debrusk took a wrist shot from just outside the faceoff circles to the right of Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky that rang off the post. The rebound came right onto the stick of Krejci who walked into a slapshot at the left faceoff circle beating Bobrovsky stick side to make it 1-0 at 12:13 of the middle period. Columbus had two powerplay opportunities while the score was still 1-0 in the third period, but couldn’t convert as they went 0-4 on the night with the extra man.
Marcus Johannson provided the breathing room as he scored at 8:58 of the third. Danton Heinen and Johansson criss crossed at the top of the Blue Jackets zone just over the blue line, with Heinen dropping a pass to Johansson who fired one from the high slot that Bobrovsky couldn’t handle cleanly with his glove as the puck got away from him and dropped just over the goal line. David Backes put the finishing touch on the series win when he scored his first goal of the playoffs at 10:39 to end the scoring. Torey Krug gathered in a puck at the Columbus blue line and found Backes, who re-directed it right in the slot in front of Bobrovsky and into the net to end the scoring.
Rask made many Grade A saves in earning his eighth win and first shutout of the playoffs. Bobrovsky made 26 saves in the loss. Krejci added an assist and was the only multiple point scorer in the game. The wild card Blue Jackets lost three straight games in the series after starting the playoffs with a 6-1 record, while knocking off top seed and President Trophy winning Tampa Bay in a sweep in the first round. Columbus finishes the 2018-19 season with a final record of 53-35-4.
Boston (57-29-9) now will face another Eastern Conference wild card team the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals with game one at TD Garden on Thursday at 8 pm. Carolina upset the Washington Capitals in seven games in the first round, then swept the New York Islanders in the semifinals. The Bruins will be playing in the ECF for the first time since June 2013, when they swept the Pittsburgh Penguins before falling 4-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. Boston won the season series 2-1 over Carolina, and will once again have the home ice advantage with the first two games in Boston.
