Connelly’s Top Ten: Red Sox Crowned Championship Contenders

Celtics Loss Lowers Expectations

Curt Schilling’s Video Game Company 38 Studios Lays Off All Employees

Sox Rebound in Rubber Match after 4-1 Loss to O’s

Bruins Close Out Preseason on Sour Note

In a hard fought contest, the Bruins took a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jackets to conclude their preseason. The 1st period saw quick scoring as Matthew Calvert of Columbus slipped one through the legs of Boston goalie Tuukka Rask (best name ever) at just 2:42 into the game. Three and a half minutes in, in fact, the Bruins were being out-shot 6-0. Boston later answered at 7:03 into the period on a score by Vladimir Sobotka.

The 2nd period was relatively tame, with the lone action coming on a goal by Zdeno Chara at 5:56 in. The Bruins lead lasted until 6:43 into the 3rd, when Raffi Torres scored for Columbus on a tip-in. Then, Columbus got subsequent goals from Nikita Filatov and Derek Dorsett at 12:35 and 17:38 into the period respectively, giving the Blue jackets the 4-2 lead and eventual final score.

B’s Stud of the Game: Zdeno Chara

Chara’s goal in the 2nd capitalized on a power play advantage, and capped off a sequence of great puck movement by the Boston line.

B’s Dud of the Game: Tuukka Rask

The game slipped through Rask’s fingers (and more literally, legs) when he gave up an explosion to Columbus’ offense in the 3rd, and gave them a two-goal lead with 2:22 to play.

JERRY!! JERRY!! Moment of the Game:

With about 3:30 left in the game, Rask was accidentally bowled over while attempting to get back to the net. This sprouted two fights with 3:21 left, consisting of Chuck Kobasew and Shawn Thornton trading punches with Michael Blunden and Jared Boll of Columbus, respectively, to defend their goalie’s honor. Thornton landed some especially good looking blows (except if you’re Jared Boll) before being tackled. The situation resulted in a power play for Columbus on Kobasew’s 2:00 roughing penalty, which later led to Columbus’ fourth goal.

Game Notes:

• The Bruins started the game with a 24-man roster; the limit for the start of the regular season is 23.
• Columbus went 1-7 on the power play; the Bruins went 1-5
• With a 5-2-1 record in the preseason, the Bruins racked up 11 points, 2nd in the East behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, and 3rd overall behind the Vancouver Canucks.

Tags: Bruins, Chuck Kobasew, Columbus Blue Jackets, Mark Stuart, Shawn Thornton, Tuukka Rask, Vladimir Sobotka, Zdeno Chara