Bruins squash Jackets

Just like a good pesticide, Bruins winger Bill Guerin effectively kills Blue Jackets, as proven last night. The Boston Bruins returned to Columbus, where they last visited almost two months ago, and laid down a beat down on the home team 6-2, behind Guerin's three goal, four point night.

Even better, some supporting players stepped up as well to aid in the blow out win.

But the Jackets got on the board first, as Corey Stillman beat Raycroft stickside at 03:54, with assists by Rene Vyborny and Josef Melicher. Thirty seconds later, the teams were playing four-on-four hockey as Martin Havlat was whistled for goalie interference and Melicher was likewise for a crosschecking offense.

With the ice opened up, Jochan Hecht worked his magic. As Bill Guerin centered the puck to Tim Connolly, Hecht sped up ice, in position to receive a scorching delivery from the Bruins first line center. Hecht faked a slapshot, getting Dan Blackburn to bite on the high side, then slipped his shot under the Blue Jackets goalie to tie the game.

The Bruins continued to attack the Jackets, hoping to capitalize on two additional penalties in the period, but the offense could not connect. The teams hit the lockerroom tied one all.

In the second period, the Bruins offense came to shine, and Bill Guerin pulled out the industrial can of Raid as Tim Connolly fed him twice for goals in a two minute span, at 05:20 and 07:13. Then, finally, after almost fifty games - Keith Tkachuk hit double digits in goals!

Following a Deron Quint cross checking penalty, the second line power play went on the attack. Fran Kaberle picked off an errant Jackets centering and forwarded it to Martin Havlat. Havlat took the pass, skated past center ice, pivoted to avoid Christian Berglund, and fed Tkachuk at the face off circle, who then made the net rattle as he beat Blackburn gloveside at 19:29.

The teams retreated for the second intermission with the Bruins leading 4-1. When play resumed, the Bruins got slightly sloppy, taking an early Havlat penalty, but managed to deflect an onslaught of Jackets' shot attempts. In fact, the third period saw Columbus outshoot the Bruins 14-9.

Bill Guerin pulled off his first hat trick of the season at 9:14, once again with the assist from Connolly, to score his twenty-second of the season and give the Bruins a 5-1 lead. Rene Vyborny got one goal back five minutes later, but the Jackets offense failed have the steam for a comeback.

Just to kick some sand in their face, the Bruins added an Andy McDonald goal at 19:19 of the third to close out the 6-2 win.

Bruins players swept the game stars, as Bill Guerin, Tim Connolly, and Jochan Hecht took top billing. Andrew Raycroft improved to 21-15-3 on the year as he stopped twenty-eight of thirty shots in front of 10,180 Columbusians.