The Columbus Blue Jackets will try to cool off David Pastrnak when they host the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Pastrnak had two assists in the Bruins’ 6-3 win against the visiting Minnesota Wild on Saturday, extending his point streak to 12 games. The forward has 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) during the NHL’s longest active streak.
The Bruins (41-24-8, 90 points) are 4-1-0 in their past five games and are three points ahead of Columbus for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Hopefully, we can use that momentum into (Sunday’s game),” said defenseman Andrew Peeke, a former member of the Blue Jackets. “They’re right in the race, too. It’s a big matchup for both teams, and it’s exciting. That’s what makes this part of the year fun — being in that hunt. Every game feels like a playoff game, and that’s really exciting.”
The Blue Jackets (38-24-11, 87 points) have lost three of their past four games following a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the visiting San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm each scored two goals for Boston against the Wild. Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist. Casey Mittelstadt notched three assists and Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves.
“It was a complete 60-minute effort,” coach Marco Sturm said. “Every line brought something to the table — could be a fight, could be a goal, whatever it is. Sway in net, outstanding again. That’s who we are, and that’s what I like the most.”
Zacha has six goals and three assists in his past six games.
Igor Chernyshov scored his second goal of the game with 1:25 left in the third period and the San Jose Sharks rallied to defeat the Blue Jackets Saturday.
Defenseman Denton Mateychuk and Cole Sillinger scored and Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves for Columbus.
“We just didn’t have our legs,” Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness said. “What these guys have to learn is when you don’t have your legs, you try to simplify the game a little bit. And even though we didn’t have our legs, we’re still trying to make plays that just weren’t there.”
Columbus took a 2-1 lead into the third period but could not hold it.
“They’re (San Jose) fighting for their lives too, just as we are, so they were the better team tonight,” Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson said. “They were on top of us. We didn’t really get many opportunities to be on the offensive side of those physical altercations.”
Columbus forward Dmitri Voronkov left the game early in the second period with an upper-body injury after blocking a shot. Bowness said he will not play Sunday.
Joonas Korpisalo is 1-2-0 with a 4.19 goals-against average and .872 save percentage in his career against Columbus. Jet Greaves, the probable starter for the Blue Jackets, has never faced the Bruins.
The Bruins won the teams’ first meeting 4-2 on Feb. 26 as Arvidsson scored twice and Korpisalo made 36 saves. The teams play again on April 12.
