Bruins roll past Blue Jackets

Boston — Jake DeBrusk set up second-period power-play goals by David Backes and Charlie McAvoy and added a goal of his own, Tuukka Rask stopped 16 shots to keep up his hot stretch, and the Boston Bruins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-2 on Monday night.

Brad Marchand, Danton Heinen, Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins, who had a season-high scoring total while halting a two-game skid. Rask improved to 6-0-1 in his last seven starts. McAvoy also had an assist and his first career NHL fight.

Josh Anderson and Seth Jones scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 38 saves — including a penalty shot by Tim Schaller — for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus lost for the third in four games and was dominated in the first two periods when they fell into a 3-0 hole.

Leading 1-0 in the second, DeBrusk made his two very nice cross-ice passes, helping the Bruins converted on consecutive power plays just over five minutes apart. On the first, DeBrusk skated deep down the left wing and sent a pass across to Backes, who one-timed a shot into the net.

DeBrusk then set up McAvoy's goal with a pass across the slot from the bottom of the right circle. McAvoy onetimed it into the net before Bobrovsky could get to the other side of the crease.

The Bruins owned a 28-14 edge in shots on goal after two periods, dictating play for most of the game. Columbus had just one shot on goal by a forward in the opening period.

Anderson converted a feed from Alexander Wennberg 8:32 into the third, but Heinen scored to seal it.

Rask made a solid pad stop on Cam Atkinson's partial breakaway with the Bruins on a power play early in the second.

Marchand made it 1-0 when he onetimed a drop pass from Bergeron inside the right post for his 14th goal with 5:12 left in the first.

NOTES: McAvoy also got into a fight in the third period. Injured Bruins D Adam McQuaid watched the replay on a TV in the press box, smiled and said: "He just needs an assist now," referring to a Gordie Howe hat trick of a goal, assist and a fight . ... Marchand has at least a point in a career-high nine straight games. after missing his previous six with an injury.