Brad Marchand scored a natural hat trick in the third period as the Boston Bruins came from behind to defeat the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Sunday night.
The Bruins captain erased his team’s 1-0 deficit after two periods by himself, netting three straight goals — including two on power plays — across a span of 5:50.
Four of Marchand’s 11 goals this season have come over the past two games following an eight-game goal-scoring drought. The hat trick was the sixth of his career.
Charlie McAvoy assisted on each of Marchand’s last two goals in his 400th career NHL game.
Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves for the Bruins, who have won three straight games since losing on Monday in Columbus.
Boone Jenner scored the Blue Jackets’ lone goal, and Spencer Martin stopped 25 shots as Columbus took its third loss in five games.
Boston finished with a 28-25 advantage in shots and went 2-for-6 on the power play.
After Kevin Shattenkirk blocked a shot to start a breakaway, Marchand took Danton Heinen’s cross-ice feed and notched the game-tying goal from the right circle 1:56 into the third.
Marchand gave the Bruins their first lead of the night on a wrister from the high slot at 5:37 before finishing the hat trick with another power-play tally off a tic-tac-toe sequence with Pavel Zacha and McAvoy at 7:46.
Jenner sent home the opening goal with just 35 seconds left in the middle frame. After Zach Werenski’s point shot was blocked in the slot, the puck caromed to Mathieu Olivier, who fed Jenner for a quick finish on the right side.
The Bruins were held scoreless despite two first-period power plays. The second advantage included Martin making a flashing glove save to deny Zacha’s point-blank shot from the low right circle.
Columbus had an 8-6 shot advantage through the first 20 minutes of action.
Martin continued to stand tall in the Blue Jackets’ net, stopping a give-and-go between Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle off the rush as the hosts were unsuccessful on a third man-up chance in the second.
–Field Level Media
