NHL: Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets - Source: Imagn

3 least impressive Boston Bruins players from 6-2 loss to Columbus Blue Jackets feat. Joonas Korpisalo

Modified Dec 28, 2024 03:43 GMT

The Boston Bruins had their sights set on earning a third straight victory on Friday night when they visited the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first of a short home-and-home series that began at Nationwide Arena.

However, the Blue Jackets ultimately gained the upper hand with a convincing 6-2 victory, improving their record to 15-15-6, while the Bruins fell to 19-14-4.

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Both teams traded goals in the opening 20 minutes; Sean Monahan scored his 12th goal while the Blue Jackets enjoyed the man advantage, while the Bruins knotted the score thanks to Pavel Zacha.

But in the second period, the Blue Jackets pulled away from the Bruins with a dominating offensive showing. Goals from Adam Fantilli, Monahan again and a pair of goals from Dmitri Voronkov increased the lead for Columbus to 5-1 entering the third period.

Kirill Marchenko added to the lead with a goal early in the third period, while Boston managed to get one back thanks to Charlie Coyle's 10th of the year.

Joonas Korpisalo, a former Blue Jackets goaltender, was victimized for six goals on 33 shots, while Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves in a winning effort for Columbus.

Here's a closer look at the three least impressive Bruins players from their loss to the Blue Jackets.

3 least impressive Boston Bruins players from 6-2 loss to Columbus Blue Jackets

#1. Joonas Korpisalo

It was not a successful return to Columbus for Korpisalo, who spent the first several years of his NHL club with the franchise before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.

A handful of goals he would love a second opportunity to stop; his goals-against average has now risen to 2.42 for the season, his first with the Bruins after being acquired in a summer trade with the Ottawa Senators for Linus Ullmark.

#2. Mason Lohrei

One of Boston's top defensemen, he was on the ice for a pair of goals against the Jackets and was twice caught out of position, opening the door for the Jackets to find the back of the net.

He didn't do much to help quell the offensive push by the Blue Jackets in the second period, which included four goals in just 2:47 of regulation time.