NBCSN’s coverage of the 2018-19 NHL season continues with Tuesday night’s matchup between the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
The Blue Jackets are seeking their third straight playoff berth as John Tortorella, who was hired seven games into the 2015-16 season after the team started 0-7-0, looks to lead Columbus to their first-ever playoff series win, should they make it. A Columbus win over Boston and a Montreal loss in regulation to Tampa will get them in.
Columbus entered the NHL in the 2000-01 season and made the playoffs just twice in their first 15 seasons. The Blue Jackets are the only team in the league that has never won a playoff series.
The Blue Jackets enter this game riding a five-game win streak, having outscored their opponents 24-4. Prior to this run, Columbus had dropped three straight before a 5-0 win against Vancouver to end a four-game road trip started their current run.
The Bruins recorded a point in 19 consecutive games from Jan. 29 to March 9 (15-0-4) and more recently had their 12-game home win streak snapped on Saturday against Florida. They come in having lost two straight after falling at Detroit on Sunday – a game in which they led 3-2 in the third before being outscored 4-0 in the final period to lose 6-3.
Brad Marchand scored again on Sunday adding to his career high point total which now stands at 98 this season (leads team/fifth in NHL). He’s put up his fourth straight 30-goal season (35 – second on team) and since his goal against Detroit was when the Bruins were shorthanded, he passed Rick Middleton for the franchise record with his 26th all-time shorthanded goal.
Bruins leading goal-scorer David Pastrnak (36 goals) recently returned after missing 16 games with a thumb injury suffered when he fell leaving a sponsorship dinner. He’s picked up right where he left off with 11 points (5G-6A) in seven games since returning including a hat trick three games ago against the Rangers.
[WATCH LIVE – COVERAGE BEGINS 6:30 P.M. ET – NBCSN]
What: Boston Bruins at Columbus Blue Jackets
Where: Nationwide Arena
When: Tuesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: You can watch the Bruins-Blue Jackets stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
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BRUINS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk - David Krejci - Carson Kuhlman
Marcus Johansson - Charlie Coyle - Chris Wagner
Joakim Nordstrom - Noel Acciari - David Backes
Zdeno Chara - Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug - Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk - Kevan Miller
Starting goalie: Tuukka Rask
BLUE JACKETS
Artemi Panarin - Matt Duchene - Cam Atkinson
Ryan Dzingel - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner - Alexander Wennberg - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Brandon Dubinsky - Riley Nash - Nick Foligno
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Markus Nutivaara - David Savard
Scott Harrington - Dean Kukan
Starting goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky
Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Brian Boucher (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) will have the call from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Paul Burmeister alongside analysts Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick.