Bruins Live Blog: B’s Rally to Win 5-3 in Columbus, But Lose Zdeno Chara to Lower-Body Injury in Process

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Dec 10, 2011

Bruins Live Blog: B's Rally to Win 5-3 in Columbus, But Lose Zdeno Chara to Lower-Body Injury in ProcessFinal, Bruins 5-3: The Bruins end their two-game losing streak with a 5-3 win in Columbus, but it may have come at a cost as Zdeno Chara suffered an undisclosed injury during the second period and did not return.

The Bruins will return home to face the Los Angeles Kings at the Garden on Tuesday.

Third Period, 19:34, Bruins 5-3: The Bruins add an insurance tally in the final minute as Chris Kelly scores on the power play.

Patrice Bergeron spins off a defender behind the net and finds Kelly alone in the slot for the goal.

Third Period, 18:26, Bruins 4-3: The Bruins will go on the power play to finish this one as Marchand and Seguin create a chance down low and Marchand draws a hooking call on Fedor Tyutin.

Third Period, 15:44, Bruins 4-3: The Bruins rolling all four lines even late in the third and wearing down the Blue Jackets. At the other end, the five remaining defensemen are doing solid work making up for the loss of Chara here in the third.

Third Period, 11:54, Bruins 4-3: Derick Brassard with a chance at the right post, then gets into it with Marchand behind the net after the whistle. no penalties called and Marchand continues to do his best to get under the opposition's skin at every opportunity.

Third Period, 10:14, Bruins 4-3: The Bruins are maintaining this lead as Rask has looked sharp coming on in relief of Thomas and the defense is picking up the slack in the absence of Chara.

Third Period, 6:44, Bruins 4-3: The Bruins strike on the man advantage as Joe Corvo gets his second of the night, and second of the season.

Corvo moved in from the right point and launched a blast from the top of the circle through a scree in front to give the Bruins the lead again.

Third Period, 5:28, 3-3: The Bruins fourth line draws a penalty as Boston goes back on the power play with Antoine Vermette called for hooking.

Third Period, 1:54, 3-3: The Bruins kill off the penalty and are now back at even strength as they try to pull this one out in the third period in Columbus.

Third Period, 0:00, 3-3: The final frame is under way with Columbus opening on the power play. Chara will not return with his undisclosed injury suffered in the second and Tuukka Rask has replaced Thomas in net for the Bruins.

Second Intermission Notes: It's been a wild one in Columbus, and there's still another 20 minutes (at least) left to go.

The Bruins continue to be their own worst enemy with bad penalties. Milan Lucic made up for his three first-period calls by assisting on all three goals, but he ended the second with another bad penalty as he stuck out the leg to trip up Derek MacKenzie.

The bigger news could be the loss of Zdeno Chara. He was absent for the end of the second, but no word yet on his status for the third. He appeared to get hurt in a collision with Antoine Vermette with about six minutes left in the period.

Columbus also lost Derek Dorsett to injury on the same play in which he got called for a goalie interference on a drive to the net in a brutal call. The Blue Jackets lead 25-16 in shots and 20-7 in hits through two periods.

End Second Period, 3-3: The first 40 minutes are in the books. It's all knotted up again, but the Blue Jackets will begin the third on the power play.

Second Period, 19:54, 3-3: Lucic reverts to his early-game form with another bad penalty, sticking the leg out to trip up Derek MacKenzie at center ice.

Second Period, 16:05, 3-3: Off the draw after the goal, Samuel Pahlsson and David Krejci get involved, leading to a scrum involving everyone on the ice.

Krejci and Pahlsson get the only penalties with two minutes each for unsportsmanlike conduct, and it will be 4 on 4 for the next couple minutes.

Second Period, 16:05, 3-3: The Blue Jackets tie the game as R.J. Umberger scores on a bad angle shot from the left side.

Umberger fought off a check from Seidenberg and slipped a shot through Thomas' pads that the Bruins netminder would certainly want back.

Second Period, 14:06, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins can't convert on the undeserved penalty. Not surprising to see the Blue Jackets fired up to kill that penalty after a horrible call.

Second Period, 12:06, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins will benefit from a bad call as Derek Dorsett drives hard to the net with the puck and gets called for goalie interference. He also crashes into the boards and has to be helped off the ice.

Second Period, 12:06, Bruins 3-2: A wild scramble in the Bruins crease as the Blue Jackets threaten before Adam McQuaid is able to clear it.

Second Period, 9:47, Bruins 3-2: Lots of chances both ways during that power play, but no goals. Thomas was forced to make a couple big saves, while the Bruins threatened shorthanded with a 2 on 1 by Jordan Caron and Gregory Campbell.

Second Period, 7:47, Bruins 3-2: The parade to the penalty box continues as the Bruins will be shorthanded again with Patrice Bergeron going to the box for hooking.

Second Period, 7:24, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins came close to extending the lead on a Horton shot that got behind Sanford, but it was cleared off the goal line by the defense and Columbus killed off the rest of the penalty.

Second Period, 5:24, Bruins 3-2: David Krejci uses his speed to draw a tripping call on Rick Nash. That will even the sides for three seconds, followed by a power play for the Bruins.

Second Period, 3:27, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins will have to kill off another penalty, as Andrew Ference is called for high-sticking.

Second Period, 0:58, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins convert that power play quickly as Zdeno Chara blasts one home from the top of the left circle to put Boston ahead for the first time in this one.

Lucic continues his redemption for his earlier penalties with his third assist of the game, with David Krejci adding the other helper.

Second Period, 0:40, 2-2: The Bruins nearly take the lead, but Benoit Pouliot is robbed on a backhander at the right post. He does draw a hooking call on Brassard and the Bruins will go on the power play.

Second Period, 0:00, 2-2: The middle frame is under way in Columbus, with the Bruins looking to build off their two-goal rally late in the first after a sloppy start.

First Intermission Notes: Two goals in 45 seconds in the final two minutes of the periods erased the damage from what had been one of the worst periods the Bruins have played this season. But it won't stay even for long if the Bruins don't clean up the sloppy and undisciplined play that marked most of that opening frame.

Milan Lucic was the biggest culprit, taking a hooking penalty as a Boston power play expired and then a selfish double minor for slashing and cross-checking R.J. Umberger after taking a seat in a collision with the Columbus forward. Lucic made up for that by assisting on both Bruins goals to tie the game.

The score is even at 2-2, but the stats show how this one really was for most of the period. Columbus has a 13-7 edge in shots and a 13-3 advantage in hits.

Jordan Caron had a quiet first period in his return to the lineup, skating five shifts for 3:46. He's taking Daniel Paille's spot on the fourth line with Paille sidelined with a concussion. The other three lines have remained intact.

End First Period, 2-2: After some sloppy and undisciplined play put them in a 2-0 hole early, the Bruins break though late in the first and will head to the first intermission all even in Columbus.

First Period, 19:11, 2-2: The Bruins pull even with another late period goal.

Lucic makes amends for his penalties as he comes out from behind the net and finds Nathan Horton in the high slot, and Horton scores on a wrister from between the circles.

First Period, 18:26, Blue Jackets 2-1: The Bruins get on the board as Joe Corvo scores his first goal with Boston.

Corvo fired in a shot from the right point through a screen in front to cut the deficit in half.

First Period, 18:08, Blue Jackets 2-0: The Bruins kill off both penalties, thanks largely to Thomas, who robbed Prospal with a glove hand along the ice at the right post.

First Period, 14:08, Blue Jackets 2-0: The Blue Jackets will now have four more minutes of power-play time as Milan Lucic loses his cool in a big way.

He went for a hit on R.J. Umberger behind the net and took the worst of it. He then slashed Umberger in front in response, then cross-checked him to the ice, picking up a penalty for each infraction.

First Period, 11:09, Blue Jackets 2-0: The Blue Jackets strike on the power play, with Jeff Carter scoring on a rebound in front.

Derick Brassard had the initial attempt at the left post, and with Thomas down in the crease, Carter flipped a backhander up over him.

First Period, 10:34, Blue Jackets 1-0: The Bruins can't get anything going on that power play, then compound the problem by taking a penalty of their own. Milan Lucic goes to the box for hooking as Columbus gets it's first power-play chance.

First Period, 8:20, Blue Jackets 1-0: The Bruins will get a chance to pull even as they get the first power-play opportunity of the night with Ryan Johansen is called for slashing Andrew Ference. 

First Period, 7:34, Blue Jackets 1-0: Gregory Campbell headed to the bench in pain favoring his left leg after blocking a shot.

First Period, 5:46, Blue Jackets 1-0: The Blue Jackets strike first as Rick Nash breaks in alone and beats Thomas for the early score.

Nash got behind Zdeno Chara after Chara attempted a shot at the point and took a pass from Vinny Prospal for the breakaway bid as Columbus caught Boston in transition.

First Period, 2:57, 0-0: The gloves come off early as Shawn Thornton squares off with Jared Boll at center ice.

This one stems from the last meeting as Thornton was not happy with a late shot from Boll in their bout in Boston. Thornton takes the decision here with some early rights, then switches to the left.

First Period, 0:50, 0-0: The Bruins pick up where they left off on Thursday by hitting another post early. Rich Peverley clangs one off the iron from the left slot less than a minute in.

First Period, 0:00, 0-0: This one is under way in Columbus, where the Bruins will look to snap out of their two-game skid against the Blue Jackets.

7 p.m.: The Bruins will open with the Chris Kelly line, with Benoit Pouliot and Rich Peverley on the wings. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg start together on defense, with Tim Thomas in goal.

Columbus counters with Antoine Vermette, Derick Brassard and Ryan Johansen up front, John Moore and Grant Clitsome on the blue line and Curts Sanford in net.

6:50 p.m.: No surprises in the scratches. Daniel Paille is out for the Bruins after suffering a concussion Thursday against the Panthers. He did not make the trip to Columbus. Steven Kampfer remains the healthy scratch on defense.

Columbus scratches Aaron Johnson on defense, as John Moore returns to the lineup after missing the last two games with an illness. Kristian Huselius remains out with a groin injury.

6:30 p.m.: Tim Thomas and Curtis Sanford led their respective clubs out on the ice for the warm-up in Columbus.

That will be the goaltending matchup for this one. Sanford will be starting his 12th game for Columbus.

6:20 p.m.: The Bruins will try to get their offense going again in this one, and Columbus might be the right opponent for that.

The Blue Jackets rank 28th in the league, allowing 3.19 goals a game. The Bruins are still third in that category at 3.15, but have managed just one goal in their last two games. They scored 66 in their previous 15 games when they went 14-0-1.

The Bruins are even better at preventing goals, with a league-best 2.01 team GAA. Columbus is 26th in scoring, averaging just 2.32 goals a game.

6 p.m.: The Bruins will get their chance to ge back to their winning ways in just about an hour in Columbus, where they will face the Blue Jackets.

Columbus has the fewest points in the league with just 20, but gave the Bruins all they could handle before falling in a shootout at the Garden on Nov. 17. The Blue Jackets are 5-3-2 since, so this won't be the pushover the records may indicate.

8 a.m. ET: The Bruins have dropped back-to-back games for the first time since October with losses to Winnipeg and Florida this week.

They head to Columbus on Saturday and at first glance a matchup with the Blue Jackets appears to be just what the Bruins might need to get back on the winning track. Columbus has the fewest points of any team in the NHL with an 8-16-4 record for just 20 points.

But the Blue Jackets have played better of late, going 5-3-2 over their last 10 games. That run began after dropping a shootout loss to the Bruins at the Garden on Nov. 17.

The Bruins learned firsthand that Columbus can be a tougher opponent than its record indicates as Boston barely escaped with the win that night. Adam McQuaid, originally a second-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2005 before being dealt to Boston for a fifth-rounder in 2007 after Columbus was unable to sign him, scored the equalizer in the second period. Rich Peverley and David Krejci scored the goals in the shootout, with Tuukka Rask making 30 saves and stopping two of three Columbus attempts in the shootout for the win.

The Bruins will be without forward Daniel Paille. He suffered a mild concussion on a hit from Krys Barch early in the Florida game and is not making the trip to Columbus. Jordan Caron is expected to return to the lineup to replace Paille.

The puck drops at 7 p.m., so check back here for updates on all the action.

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