|
 Eriksson's tap-in goal off a perfect feed from defenseman Torey Krug
only 33 seconds into overtime led the Bruins to a 2-1 victory over
the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday in Nationwide Arena.
"I'm finding ways to score goals, and it's a nice feeling to have,"
said Eriksson, who scored a goal in a fourth consecutive game.
"That's a great play by Torey right there.
"It seems like the puck is finding me right now, so keep it up."
Center Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins, while goaltender
Tuukka Rask made 28 stops.
The Blue Jackets' only goal came on a first-period penalty shot by
center Alexander Wennberg.
Columbus rookie goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, making his 10th
consecutive start in place of injured starter Sergei Bobrovsky,
finished with 28 saves.
"We played well enough for one point," Korpisalo said, "but not well
enough for two. However we played, it wasn't good enough."
Still, the Blue Jackets -- 6-1-2 in their past nine games -- felt as
if they deserved a better fate.
Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella was fuming about the overtime
breakdown that led to Eriksson's goal.
"The thing that (ticks) me off is we just give them a free one,"
Tortorella said. "After how hard we worked, how patient we were in
the third period, our work on the boards, just grind away ... and we
give 'em a free one.
"It's frustrating. It's a simple three-on-three, man-on-man, and we
just screw it up."
Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones lost his check during the
three-on-three overtime, allowing Eriksson to sneak through the
backdoor wide open.
"I'm really happy the way we played," Tortorella said, "but just as
upset as far as giving them a free one to lose the game."
The Blue Jackets (23-28-7) took a 1-0 lead midway through the first
period.
Wennberg was sprung on a breakaway by a nifty pass from Blue Jackets
left winger Scott Hartnell, but Wennberg didn't get a shot off
because he was hooked by Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.
[to top of second column] |
On the first penalty shot of the season for the Blue Jackets, and
the first of Wennberg's career, he switched to his backhand at
half-speed and quickly roofed a shot over Rask's left shoulder to
make it 1-0.
The Bruins pulled even at 14:28 of the opening period. A turnover by
Jones gave the puck to Bergeron with a clear shooting lane on
Korpisalo.
Bergeron, who missed the previous two games with an undisclosed
injury, rifled the puck between Korpisalo's glove and pad for his
22nd goal of the season.
"That's a save I have to make," Korpisalo said. "It knuckled a
little bit, but I need to be there."
Other than Wennberg's penalty shot and the turnover Bergeron
converted, both teams played a very tight, fast-paced game with
plenty of physicality.
"There were a lot of battles along the wall," Bruins coach Claude
Julien said. "They won too many battles for my liking. I didn't
think we were good enough. We'd get one chance (in the Columbus
zone) and we were done, and they'd come back the other way.
"But when we needed the big play in overtime for the crucial second
point, we got it."
NOTES: Bruins C Patrice Bergeron (undisclosed) and D Adam McQuaid
(upper body) were both deemed "game-time decisions," but both
played. Bergeron, who missed two games, skated between LW Brad
Marchand and RW Brett Connolly. McQuaid, who missed 18 games, joined
D Dennis Seidenberg on the second pairing. ... Blue Jackets G Sergei
Bobrovsky (groin) and RW David Clarkson resumed skating, but there
is no timetable for their return. ... Blue Jackets G Curtis
McElhinney was activated from injured reserve and served as G Joonas
Korpisalo's backup.
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