Van Riemsdyk’s performance leads Bruins to 4-1 win over Blue Jackets

James van Riemsdyk Postgame Interview | Bruins vs Blue Jackets

James van Riemsdyk’s stellar play propelled the Boston Bruins to a four-game winning streak, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night.

The left-wing player earned three points after scoring a goal in the second period and assisting in two plays in the third. With this win, the Bruins now lead the NHL Atlantic Division with 23 wins in 36 games.

“We were probably playing a little uneven going into [the break],” van Riemsdyk said. “So, coming out of that we really took advantage of that as far as hitting the reset and kind of getting back to the things that made us successful.”

Van Riemsdyk has his best performance of the season with three points for the Bruins. The squad took 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the middle of the game. They eventually sealed their fourth consecutive win since the NHL’s holiday break with a two-goal third period.

Kevin Shattenkirk, Danton Heinen and Trent Frederic also scored for Boston. Goaltender Linus Ullmark made 26 saves to secure the win for the Bruins.

Kent Johnson scored the only goal for the Blue Jackets, while goalie Spencer Martin made 23 saves. Martin had been on a three-game point streak (one win, two ties) before this game.

Coach praises van Riemsdyk’s performance

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery commended van Riemsdyk’s comeback following his benching in Sunday’s 5-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings.

“He’s contributing to our team game every night. Somehow, he always ends up getting a play because he’s smart. He gets to the right areas,” Montgomery said.

He specifically highlighted the effectiveness of the line comprising van Riemsdyk, Frederic, and Heinen as a key factor in the game.

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead when Shattenkirk scored at 2:12 of the second period. Johnson made it 1-1 for Columbus at 4:06 with a pass from Ivan Provorov.

Van Riemsdyk then put the Bruins ahead 2-1 on a power play at 13:07, capitalizing on Hampus Lindholm’s shot deflection. Heinen extended the lead to 3-1 in the third period with a rebound, and Frederic sealed the win at 15:54 with a low shot in the right circle.