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Lucic: Players have to step up for struggling Bruins

Milan Lucic Michel Cormier

Boston Bruins’ Milan Lucic, left, reacts as he is escorted off the ice by linesman Michel Cormier after receiving a penalty near the end of an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, in Montreal. The Canadiens won 6-4. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Paul Chiasson)

AP

The Boston Bruins had been on a modest but nice little streak of three wins in four games heading into the holiday break, but that was forgotten Saturday when they were clobbered by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The floodgates opened in the second period and the Blue Jackets skated to a 6-2 victory. Not even the highly anticipated fight between Milan Lucic and Dalton Prout could gain any momentum for Boston.

A quick glance at the Eastern Conference standings shows the Bruins are three points back of the Washington Capitals for the final Wild Card spot as they approach the midway mark of the season.

“The coaches do what they do and they put the game plan together. That game plan works,” Lucic told the Boston Globe.

“It’s worked for the past seven years. It’s up to us as players to come together and, as individuals, step up all of our games and get it moving in the right direction. Because we’re starting to run out of time as far as playing catch-up hockey.”

There was controversy in the second period.

Less than three minutes after Boston cut the Columbus lead to two goals, the Blue Jackets scored to restore their three-goal cushion, however the goal occurred shortly after the puck hit the spectator netting. Play was never stopped and the Blue Jackets eventually scored what was their fifth goal of the evening.

From the NHL’s Situation Room blog:

At 17:43 of the second period in the Boston Bruins/Columbus Blue Jackets game, the puck appeared to hit the spectator netting in the Columbus zone and play continued until the Blue Jackets scored a goal at 19:09. According to Rule 85.1, play shall be stopped when the puck hits the spectator netting unless it goes unnoticed by the on-ice officials, in which case “play shall continue as normal and resulting play with the puck shall be deemed a legitimate play.” Since play continued and the puck was not directed into the net as an immediate result of hitting the spectator netting, this is not a reviewable play and the on-ice decision stands - good goal Columbus.

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