The Boston Bruins picked up where they left off to begin their 2024 slate. But it took them a bit to find their groove against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Bruins slept their way through a flat opening 20 minutes. Over that stretch, they put forth a couple of static power play attempts and hardly looked in sync at 5v5 play, resulting in a shorthanded Columbus bunch holding a 12-5 edge in first-period shots on net.
Come the middle frame, the Bruins returned to their forechecking identity early and often. They were rewarded for their effort when Kevin Shattenkirk cashed in for his third goal in as many games, firing a relatively routine shot from the point past Spencer Martin 2:12 into the second.