Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Game 1: Boston 3 – Columbus 2 (OT)
In game 1 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins outlasted the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime. The game was dominated by the B’s through the first two periods where the Bruins would take a 1-0 lead into the third period. The goal for the Bruins was scored by Noel Acciari shorthanded after Charlie Coyle took a hooking penalty 9:20 into the game. Acciari was able to steal the puck in the neutral zone and fire a quick wrist shot that beat Sergei Bobrovsky.
In the third period, Charlie Coyle would give the puck up on a horrible turnover where the Blue Jackets would tie the game. 13 seconds later the Jackets would score again to take a 2-1 lead getting late into the period. Needing to make amends for his mistake, Coyle would score to tie the game with just over four minutes to play when he received a cross ice pass from Marcus Johansson and one timed it past Bobrovsky. It was such a hard one timer that it came right out of the net and fooled people including myself, I thought it hit the post, but the game was tied.
The game would remain tied and head to overtime where both of these teams would find themselves for the first time this postseason. Just over five minutes played in the first overtime period, Coyle and Johansson would connect once again as Johansson threw the puck perfectly between defenders, tape-to-tape to Coyle who would tap in the game winner and give the Bruins the 1-0 series lead.
With the Bruins holding home ice advantage, they will once again be on the TD Garden ice for game 2 on Saturday at 8pm.
Videos courtesy of NHL.com