Brad Marchand has four goals in two games and helped the Bruins improve to a 17-4-3 record Sunday night at TD Garden.
Brad Marchand has four goals in two games and helped the Bruins improve to a 17-4-3 record Sunday night at TD Garden.
In a game that felt like nothing would give for the Boston Bruins through the first 40 minutes of play, Brad Marchand delivered a third period hat trick and lifted his team to a 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday night at TD Garden.
The captain now has four goals in two games – including Friday’s overtime winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs – after going scoreless in the previous eight contests. Marchand’s sixth career hat trick has him at the 11-goal mark through 24 games played.
“It was nice to get, they don’t come often,” Marchand said of his hat trick. “We’re so confident in this group. Going into the third period, we’ve shown that – over the last number of years – how we don’t quit, we play right until the end.”
The Bruins entered the third period down 1-0 after Columbus forward Boone Jenner one-timed a net-front pass past Swayman with 35 seconds remaining in the middle stanza. Despite the deficit, Boston had a handful of high-danger chances in the second with 15 shots on goal, and finally got rewarded at the top of the final frame.
“I just liked the fact that we stayed with it. We didn’t get frustrated, the bench stayed positive and we were able to find a way in the third,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said.
Marchand’s first goal of the game came at 1:56 of the third as he blasted home a Danton Heinen pass on the rush to tie things 1-1. The Bruins soon earned the lead at 5:37 on the power play thanks to a Marchand wrister from the high slot to make it 2-1.
Then came the hats.
Back on the man advantage with Columbus forward Johnny Gaudreau in the box for tripping, Marchand wired the puck past goaltender Spencer Martin from just above the left dot at 7:46, securing the hat trick and bringing the game to its final 3-1 score.
“Really felt like he just kind of threw us on his back and said ‘I’ll take us across the finish line here.’ He has that capability and he plays with so much passion and energy,” said Charlie McAvoy, who had two assists in his 400th career game.
All three goals in the natural hat trick came within a 5:50 span in the third as Marchand closed out what’s been an emotional weekend for his family. Marchand’s grandmother, Frances O’Leary, died Friday evening.
“He’s going to show up in the right times and he’s been doing that his whole career. Really special night for him, and obviously his entire family, so really happy for him,” Jeremy Swayman said following his 24-save performance.
With the victory, the Bruins improved to a 17-4-3 record and have strung together a three-game win streak since losing to Columbus 5-2 on Monday. Boston picked up all four points on its back-to-back weekend and will next face the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night at TD Garden.
“I just think morale is going to be in a good place moving forward,” Swayman said. “I think we left it all out there.”