BOS 4, CBJ 3 (SO): Blue Jackets Squander Three-Goal Lead In Third, Fall To Bruins In Shootout In Demoralizing Loss

By Ed Francis on March 29, 2026 at 8:39 pm
The Columbus Blue Jackets had a 3-0 lead in the third period — and then the wheels came off, giving the Boston Bruins a 4-3 shootout victory Sunday night in a demoralizing Blue Jackets loss.
© Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
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  1 2 3 OT F
BOS 0 0 3 1 4
CBJ 3 0 0 0 3

CBJ GOALS: 
Boone Jenner (1st, 6:17)
Mason Marchment (1st, 7:45)
Charlie Coyle (1st, 19:32)

The Columbus Blue Jackets were coasting Sunday evening.

Until they weren't.

The Blue Jackets took a 3-0 lead into the final 14 minutes of regulation against the Boston Bruins in front of an over-capacity crowd at Nationwide Arena before allowing three goals — including the game-tying strike with just 11 seconds left — in an eventual 4-3 shootout loss.

It started out so different — Boone Jenner and Mason Marchment scored just 1:28 apart in the first period to give the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead. Charlie Coyle added a power play goal that put Columbus up 3-0 after the first period.

Between the goals, Erik Gudbranson and Mathieu Olivier dropped the gloves in rare, back-to-back fights — with the Blue Jackets coming out on top in each of them.

It would be the climax of the night for the Blue Jackets.

Olivier would play just one shift in the second period before leaving the game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Rick Bowness said Olivier would be re-evaluated Monday and had no timetable for a potential return.

After a scoreless middle frame, one in which the Bruins dictated most of the play, Boston got on the board at the 6:29 mark of the third period with a Charlie McAvoy goal to make it a 3-1 game.

Just over two minutes later, they would close the gap to one on a power play goal on Pavel Zacha's 27th of the season.

The Blue Jackets seemingly had weathered the storm after, until several failed clearing attempts gave Zacha his second of the game, tying things up at 3-3 with just 11 seconds left in regulation.

A sloppy overtime led to chances for both teams, but neither were able to capitalize.

Despite a goal from Coyle, the Blue Jackets would lose the shootout 2-1 when Viktor Arvidsson scored on the final shot of the three-round affair.

Jet Greaves finished with 35 saves on 38 shots, a .921 save percentage, as the hard-luck loser. For the Bruins, Jeremy Swayman stopped 21 of 24 shots he faced.

Bowness was direct after the game.

"I thought we got very selfish with the puck," Bowness said. "Some of these guys, they've got a lot to learn about how to play in this league at this time of year.”

Here's how the Blue Jackets ripped defeat from the jaws of victory in a crucial overtime loss:

1st Period:

(6:17 — CBJ Goal): Jenner gets the party started, but the sequence starts with a great swipe from Conor Garland. He swipes the puck from the Bruins in the Columbus zone and creates a 2-on-1 with Sean Monahan. Boston gets back, but they don't account for Jenner trailing behind the play. Garland hits him in the slot and Jenner fires it past Swayman to make it 1-0 Blue Jackets.

(7:45 — CBJ Goal): Marchment doubles the Columbus lead with his 14th goal as a Blue Jacket. Swayman's attempt to play the puck behind the net is less than ideal for the Boston netminder, allowing Kirill Marchenko to gather the puck in the corner. He dishes it to Ivan Provorov at the point, and Marchment deflects Provorov's shot into the net to make it 2-0 Blue Jackets.

(19:32 — CBJ Goal): A power play goal from Coyle in the closing minute of the period extends the Columbus lead. The rest of the Blue Jackets wait at the line as Marchenko enters the zone. The puck briefly goes to Marchment before Marchenko gets it back and immediately sends it to Coyle, who fires a rocket from the circle to make it 3-0 Blue Jackets. Each of the Marchy's each get their second point of the period on the goal.

No scoring in the middle frame, with perhaps the best chance of the period coming for the Bruins when they rang one of the post with 3:16 remaining in the period. For the period, Boston led 12-5 in shots on goal and had a 14-7 advantage in scoring chances, including five of the eight high-danger opportunities. 

(6:29 — BOS Goal): Boston gets on the board with McAvoy's 11th of the season. He takes a pass from Zacha in the corner and fires a long wrister from the point. It gets through a bit of traffic in front of Greaves and finds the back of the net, to cut the Columbus lead to 3-1.

(8:43 — BOS Goal): Zacha makes it a one-goal game with a tip-in, power play goal. He sets up in the circle and tips in McAvoy's shot to bring the Blue Jackets lead down to 3-2.

(19:49 — BOS Goal): Collapse completed. With several attempts to clear the puck, the Blue Jackets are unable to do so — and Zacha is able to capitalize, scoring his second goal of the period, this one tying the game at 3-3. 

BOS GAME STATS CBJ
38 SHOTS 24
85 SHOT ATTEMPTS 49
38 SCORING CHANCES 24
15 HIGH-DANGER CHANCES 8
54% FACEOFF PERCENTAGE 46%
2/4 POWER PLAY 1/2
1/2 PENALTY KILL 2/4
21 HITS 23
14 GIVEAWAYS 16
4 TAKEAWAYS 5
14 BLOCKED SHOTS 24

Stat Chat:

  • This was the second time in the month of March that the Blue Jackets have blown a three-goal lead in the third period. They were up 4-0 March 2nd against the New York Rangers before giving up four goals to send the game to overtime. Columbus wound up winning that one, 5-4, to secure two points.
     
  • The advanced data paints a grim last 40 minutes (and overtime) for the Blue Jackets: the Bruins had a 72-26 lead in shot attempts , a 30-12 lead in scoring chances, and 12 of the 17 high-danger chances.
     
  • One night after allowing 36 shots on goal — the most in the Bowness era — the Blue Jackets allowed 38 shots on goal.

Up Next:

The Blue Jackets have a home-and-home with the Carolina Hurricanes that kicks off Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. Puck-drop for the ESPN+/Hulu broadcast is a half hour later than normal — 7:30 p.m. for the nationally televised game.

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