Columbus Blue Jackets trade 3-goal first period with Boston Bruins, then fall in shootout

The Columbus Blue Jackets moved to 38-24-12 and 3 points after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins, who left at 42-24-8 and 4 points at Nationwide Arena.

First period

The Columbus Blue Jackets struck for 3 goals in the first period while holding the Boston Bruins scoreless in the opening frame.

The Jackets finished the game with 24 shots and a 12 percent shooting rate as they turned early chances into goals.

The Bruins answered the physical tone with 21 hits, while the Blue Jackets recorded 23 hits in the matchup.

Second period

The Columbus Blue Jackets went 1-for-2 on the power play, converting on 2 shots with 2 assists on the man advantage.

The Boston Bruins went 2-for-4 on the power play, producing 2 goals on 5 shots as special teams began to shift the scoring balance.

The Bruins controlled the dots at 54 percent on faceoffs compared with 46 percent for the Blue Jackets.

Third period

The Boston Bruins scored 3 goals in the third period after entering the frame with 0 goals through 2 periods.

The Columbus Blue Jackets finished with 24 blocked shots as they tried to manage a Bruins shot volume that reached 38.

This Columbus Blue Jackets vs Boston Bruins recap also reflected Boston’s 28 blocked shot attempts against, which reduced second looks for the Jackets.

Overtime

The game remained tied through overtime as the Boston Bruins registered 6 overtime shots and the Columbus Blue Jackets recorded 2 overtime shots.

Jet Greaves finished with 35 saves on 38 shots against, including 32 even-strength saves and 3 shorthanded saves for the Jackets.

Kirill Marchenko logged 2 assists, and Zach Werenski was part of a Columbus group that limited Boston to 1 even-strength goal on 33 even-strength shots.

Shootout

The Boston Bruins went 2-for-3 in the shootout while the Columbus Blue Jackets went 1-for-3 to decide the extra point.

Viktor Arvidsson and Pavel Zacha earned the top 2 star selections for the Bruins, and Mason Marchment took the third star for the Blue Jackets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets post-game interviews centered on a team line that produced 5 total assists, while the Columbus Blue Jackets match rating conversation pointed to Greaves’ save total and the 24 blocked shots.

On Tuesday, 3/31/2026 at 7:30 PM EDT, the Carolina Hurricanes will visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, with the broadcast set for ESPN+ and Hulu as the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Boston Bruins final thoughts turn toward the next puck drop.

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