Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic spark the Bruins on Sunday in Columbus
Gone are the days when an NHL coach has to faucet an enforcer on the again and let him know it is time to change momentum.
Nowadays, these guys can sense when they should present a shot of vitality by a well-timed heavy hit or a hefty haymaker.
“I don’t think that ever really happens anymore. I think it’s always just kind of a feel thing for guys on the ice, feeling the intensity, emotion of the game,” he mentioned Tanner Jeannot following the Bruins’ morning skate Tuesday. “Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s never happened in my career.”
Jeannot and fellow heavyweight Mark Kastelic dropped the gloves and swung the momentum in the 4-3 shootout win over the Blue Jackets in Columbus Sunday night time.
With the Bruins scuffling and trailing, 2-0, the 6-foot-2-inch Jeannot went toe-to-toe with 6-5 Erik Gudbranson in a spirited and prolonged bout, with Jeannot scoring a victory.
Just six seconds later, the 6-4 Kastelic exchanged some thunderous hits with Mathieu Olivierextensively thought-about the high boxer in the NHL. Kastelic gave pretty much as good as he acquired in a fairly even battle — although rumor has it Derek Sanderson scored it for the man in Black and Gold.
Though the Bruins fell behind, 3-0, moments later, the tide had turned. Boston was the finest crew for the remaining 45 minutes, plus the shootout.
It all began with the fourth-line fireplugs igniting their teammates.
“It was huge,” mentioned Kastelic. “Give credit to a lot of guys, Jeano, and then for everyone to just rally after the first period. It was incredible. For us, you could just feel us get stronger as the game went on. Once we tied it up there, that was huge just to get the 1 [point]but to get the 2, that was the cherry on top. It was a complete team effort, per usual. I think it starts with Jeano to get everyone going. “It’s something we can build off.”
The fights were organic.
“Nothing was deliberate, no, it simply occurred. It’s simple to have plenty of braveness after I see a man like Tanner do what he did there, and I undoubtedly fed off it,” said Kastelic.
Jeannot was equally effusive in his praise of Kastelic for taking on one of the league’s toughest customers.
“[Olivier’s] got to be one of the toughest, if not the toughest guy in the league, and it takes a lot of guts to stand up to a guy like that,” said Jeannot. “Kasty’s been doing it all year. He’s the heart and soul and he gives everything for us every night. It doesn’t surprise me that he stepped up. “You’ve got to show respect for that and give everything you’ve got for a guy like that.”
lengthy street
The win in Columbus was the sixth straight road game in which the Bruins collected at least one point and raised their record away from friendly confines to 15-14-7. Boston is over .500 on the road for the first time since Opening Night… The Bruins start a four-game trip Thursday in Sunrise, Fla., followed by stops in Tampa (Saturday), Philadelphia (Sunday), and Carolina (Tuesday).
Jim McBride will be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. observe him @globejimmcbride.
