Bruins Stage Comeback with Marchand’s Natural Hat Trick to Defeat Blue Jackets

Boone Jenner found the net, and Spencer Martin put on an impressive performance with 25 saves as Columbus (8-14-4) triumphed over the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Friday.

“I was drawing inspiration from my teammates,” Martin expressed. “You witness moments like [defenseman Erik] Gudbranson lunging across the line at the end of the second period, and it was not just that one instance, it was a recurring theme all night. I’ve been in situations before that seemed similar, where you’re on the brink and it’s exasperating, but I’m determined to persevere.”

Jenner broke the deadlock, giving Columbus a 1-0 lead with 35 seconds left in the second period, pushing the puck past Swayman after a slick feed from Mathieu Olivier.

“I believe we need to capitalize on that momentum,” Jenner stated. “We entered the third period feeling confident in our game, and that’s where we need to continue from. Be proactive, get to our forecheck immediately, and unfortunately, we didn’t execute it.”
 
Marchand leveled the score 1-1 at 1:56 of the third period with a one-time finish from the right circle. He then netted a wrist shot from the slot on the power play, propelling Boston to a 2-1 lead at 5:37.

“We switched [David Pastrnak] and [Marchand] to allow them to use their forehand,” McAvoy mentioned, regarding power-play adjustments. “It’s gratifying to make a breakthrough, and then by the end, we’re up 2-1, and it’s almost like, you know, let’s deliver that final blow.”

The Bruins’ captain secured his hat trick with another power-play goal at 7:46, scoring from the left circle off a pass from Pavel Zacha, extending the lead to 3-1.

“It’s a significant response, especially after losing to these guys previously [5-2 on Nov. 27] in the back-to-back,” Swayman emphasized. “It was really special for us to get our legs early and dominate all three periods, and I think morale will be in a good place moving forward. I believe we left everything on the ice.”

NOTES: The Blue Jackets are now 4-3-0 since ending their nine-game losing streak on Nov. 22 with a 7-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks. … Jenner scored his fourth game-opening goal of the season, tied with nine others for most in the NHL. … Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski contributed his 18th assist of the season, the fifth-most among defensemen so far this season behind: Cale Makar (27), Quinn Hughes (25), Filip Hronek (23), and Victor Hedman (20). … Marchand scored his sixth career hat trick and his first natural hat trick. Only two other Bruins skaters have recorded a natural hat trick in the past 10 years: Patrice Bergeron (Nov. 4, 2021 & Jan. 6, 2018) and Jake DeBrusk (Feb. 28, 2022). … Marchand scored three goals in a span of 5:50. The last Bruins player to record a hat trick in a shorter span of time was Martin Lapointe on March 13, 2003 (5:15).