David Krejci, Bruins Eliminate Blue Jackets with 3-0 Game 6 Win

The Boston Bruins are through to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2013 after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on Monday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

David Krejci scored the go-ahead goal for the Bruins in the second period, with Marcus Johansson and David Backes also contributing in the win. Tuukka Rask, who was arguably Boston's best player in the series, finished with 39 saves.

Krejci was in the right place at the right time to score the game's first goal. The puck deflected off the post from Jake DeBrusk's slap shot and caromed off the boards perfectly into the path of the Bruins center.

Johansson's goal—the Bruins' second on the night—in the third period summed up the game for Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky got a pad to Johansson's wrist shot but saw the puck bounce up and over the goal line anyway.

Backes added Boston's third 10:39 into the third period to effectively extinguish Columbus' hopes of extending the series.

The Blue Jackets out-shot the Bruins 39-29 and had 43 hits to Boston's 19. The final score doesn't tell the story of how close Game 6 was. Unfortunately for Columbus, Rask was simply too good.

It looked like Game 6 would swing in Columbus' favor when the home team caught a fortuitous break in the opening frame.

For a fleeting moment in the first period, the Bruins held a one-goal lead. Sean Kuraly scored with 11:07 remaining until the first intermission.

However, Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella challenged the call. Upon further review, officials determined Joakim Nordstrom interfered with Bobrovsky immediately before Kuraly's goal, thereby wiping it off the board.

Although many Bruins fans likely disagreed, the referees appeared to make the correct decision.

Boston's replay-review luck turned around in the second period, as Charlie McAvoy avoided a match penalty following a hit to the head of Josh Anderson. Although McAvoy seemed to lower his shoulder and target Anderson above the shoulders, officials only assessed a two-minute penalty for illegal checking.

Once the NHL's Department of Player Safety weighs in, McAvoy is unlikely to be so fortunate.

Considering McAvoy plays alongside Zdeno Chara on Boston's top defensive line, his absence in the opening game of the next round would have a big impact on the team.

For the Blue Jackets, the drama doesn't stop with the end of their season.

Bobrovsky, Ryan Dzingel, Matt Duchene and Artemi Panarin are all unrestricted free agents. Bobrovsky and Panarin are obviously the biggest names, and most in Columbus have resigned themselves to seeing both players leave in the summer.

Bobrovsky provided a generic response when asked directly by reporters in January if he wished to play out the season with the Blue Jackets after the team abruptly sent him home. Panarin, meanwhile, is already on the record saying he'll look at all of his options on the open market.

Doubling down at the trade deadline and chasing a Stanley Cup this season made sense. Even though the team failed in that quest, a trip to the second round doesn't happen without that midseason injection of talent.

But this was almost certainly the Blue Jackets' best shot at a title for the foreseeable future.

What's Next?

The Bruins will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final. Boston won the regular-season series, most recently beating Carolina 4-3 in overtime on March 5.