Dubois gives Blue Jackets OT win against Bruins

BOSTON -- Pierre-Luc Dubois scored 52 seconds into overtime, and the Columbus Blue Jackets extended the longest current point streak in the NHL to 12 games in a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Thursday.

Dubois scored on a 2-on-1 with Seth Jones, who stole the puck behind the Columbus net and skated end to end.
"Bruins forward David] Krejci was kind of baiting me to go behind [the net] in our own zone, and then at that point there's so much ice that I'm just going to try to go," Jones said. "Even if I don't carry it, you can just chip it around a guy and go get it, there's no one within another 30, 40 feet."
***[WATCH: [All Blue Jackets vs. Bruins highlights]*
Elvis Merzlikins made 25 saves for the Blue Jackets (19-14-8), who are 8-0-4 in their past 12 games and 4-0-3 in their past seven road games.
"Yeah, we had some major blocked shots at key times," Columbus coach John Tortorella said. "I thought Elvis was solid when he needed to be. I just thought we played a good game right on through. It's not like we went in the back door. Held them to 12 scoring chances. At times, against their top line, there was a struggle or two. But right on throughout our lineup I just thought we played a good, solid structured game."

Tuukka Rask made 31 saves for the Bruins (24-7-11), who have a point in nine straight games (4-0-5).
Boston has lost the past six games that have gone past regulation (four overtime, two shootouts).
"As for the overtime, some of it is we've got to smarten up," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Can't get caught diving down low, that's happened more than once this year. On those puck battles away from your net, if you don't make a play at their end, you've got to make sure you put yourself in a better spot defensively to defend the rush or get off the ice. That's cost us a few times, so at some point you've got to learn from those mistakes as well."
The Blue Jackets thought they had the lead 17 seconds into the first period, but Gustav Nyquist's goal was overturned on video review because of goaltender interference.
David Pastrnak's power-play goal at 11:07 of the second period gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead. It was his NHL-leading 30th of the season and came after Torey Krug set him up for a one-timer from the top of the left face-off circle.

Sonny Milano, who returned after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, tied the score 1-1 with a pass to the front of the net that deflected off defenseman Matt Grzelcyk at 2:06 of the third period.
"Yeah, it was a little weird at first, not playing for a bit, but I think I got back to it late in the second and I think my whole line helped me out there," Milano said.

They said it

"Well, he just put it in another gear, that's what was impressive. And he was in his end zone for a little bit before that. That's just a big-league play. It's the awareness of getting into the middle of the ice on an opposing player in a 3-on-3 and just putting it into another gear." -- Columbus coach John Tortorella on Seth Jones' play to set up the game-winning goal
"Yeah, it's frustrating, obviously. There's been plenty of them this year, probably getting a little bit in our head, we want to win one of those and we're missing some confidence there. We haven't been doing well and that's [why] it's frustrating." -- forward David Pastrnak on Boston's overtime struggles

Need to know

The Blue Jackets are 6-6 in games decided in overtime; Boston is 2-5. … Dubois has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past eight games, with three game-winning goals. … Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, and San Jose Sharks forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton (who played at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday) became the 12th, 13th and 14th players to play an NHL game in four decades. … Krejci (lower body, one game), and defensemen Krug (upper body, three games) and Charlie McAvoy (lower body, three games) returned. … Pastrnak has a nine-game point streak (four goals, 10 assists) and has at least 30 goals for the fourth time in his NHL career. He's the fastest to 30 goals in a season for the Bruins since Cam Neely had 30 in 27 games in 1993-94. … Rask extended the Bruins' second-longest home point streak by a goalie from the start of a season to 16 games (10-0-6). Gilles Gilbert holds the record (16-0 with one tie in 1973-74).

What's next

Blue Jackets:Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; FS-O, NBCSCA, NHL.TV)
Bruins: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SN, NESN, NHL.TV)