Brad Marchand on Sunday recorded a natural hat-trick in the third period to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Facing each other for the second time in six days, the Bruins got some payback for a 5-2 loss in Columbus with their third straight victory.
“They don’t come often,” Marchand said of his first career natural hat-trick. “It’s just sometimes how it goes. Sometimes you get the bounces, sometimes you don’t.”
Photo: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY
Jeremy Swayman, pulled in the loss at Columbus in the second period, made 24 saves.
“He’s a world-class player,” Swayman said of Marchand. “He’s going to keep goalies guessing.”
Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, who lost for the third time in five games, and Spencer Martin stopped 25 shots.
Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy blocked a shot in the closing minute and skated to the bench slowly.
Trailing 1-0, the Bruins tied it 1 minute, 56 seconds into the third when Marchand’s shot from the right circle deflected off the stick of Columbus defense Zach Werenski and over Martin’s right shoulder.
Marchand gave them the lead 3:41 later when he fired a wrister past Martin from the high-slot for a power-play goal.
He completed the hat-trick from the left side, scoring from all three sides of the ice, when he slipped a wrister inside the right post from the bottom of the left circle at 7:46 for his second power-play goal of the night.
“I didn’t notice that. It is,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said when asked about the “uniqueness” of Marchand scoring on all three sides. “It just shows how diverse he is.”
The TD Garden fans showered the ice with hats on a cool, rainy night in Boston.
The PA played an oldie, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, while the ice crew picked up the hats. Marchand retrieved one of the hats — a red and white Santa cap — from a member of the crew and handed it to a Bruins’ equipment person on the bench.
“I saw a nice camel one that I went after right away,” Marchand said of the pile of hats. “Then someone saw a Santa hat. I’m a huge Christmas guy. It’s was a no-brainer.”
Elsewhere on Sunday, the New York Rangers held on to beat the San Jose Sharks 6-5, the Nashville Predators pipped the Buffalo Sabres 2-1, the Minnesota Wild dominated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-1.
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