Short-Handed Bruins Win a Costly One, Escape Columbus with 5-3 Victory

He did have an update on Tim Thomas, who was pulled after allowing three goals on 25 shots in the first two periods, and it was a simple one. "He looked uncomfortable," said Julien of his star goaltender.

The Bruins didn't look like they were going to get into a groove after a hot start netted no results and the Columbus counter-attack found Boston in an early 2-0 hole that they quickly erased thanks to the work of Milan Lucic, who'd spent six minutes in the first period in the penalty box.

In a play for redemption, Lucic assisted on first period goals by Joe Corvo and Nathan Horton, and got Boston the lead by assisting on Chara's eighth goal just 58 seconds into the second period.

Columbus would tie the game on a soft goal by RJ Umberger snuck through Thomas' legs, bookending a series of hilarity in the middle of the period that included a phantom goaltender interference call on Derek Dorsett, who was tripped by Thomas going to the net and fell over, suffering a serious lower-body injury that required two teammates to help him off the ice.

Samuel Pahlsson went after David Krejci's ankles before the ensuing faceoff, and everybody on the ice started to partner up before cooler heads prevailed.

Lucic took one more penalty, for a leg check, at the very end of the second, but the Bruins and Rask came to play in the third. Goals by Corvo and Chris Kelly on the power play iced the game away, and the Bruins will get two days to regroup before hosting Los Angeles on Tuesday at TD Garden.