NHL Scores And More: Blue Jackets, Bruins, Capitals And Panthers Prevail

Blue Jackets 4, Flames 1

Jeff Carter powered the Blue Jackets' 4-1 win with a pair of goals, giving him three in the last two games. Dan P. describes Carter's first goal at The Cannon:

The Jackets have been looking for that elusive "fast start" game for quite some time. Tonight, for once, they got it. They also may have gotten a glimpse of another prolific scorer finally getting back up to game speed, and capable of scoring in bunches. It only took Columbus three minutes to get on the board, as Jeff Carter brought the puck up the left side and into the zone. He froze a defender, and then fired a filthy shot that got through the defender and beat Henrik Karlsson high to the glove side, just sneaking under the crossbar and inside the far post. It was a pure snipe.

Bruins 1, Canadiens 0

The Bruins are officially on a roll, extending their winning streak to nine games -- even if they're winning ugly, as Stanley Cup of Chowder admits. This one has to sting for Canadiens fans, because it easily could have gone the other way, as Kevin van Steendelaar describes at Eyes on the Prize:

The Canadiens dominated the Bruins for the majority of the game in pretty much every category; Hits, Faceoffs, SOG, Corsi, Fenwick, you name it.

But in a game where a single bounce can change the outcome, the Bruins got theirs at 15:41 of the opening period.

After Yannick Weber whiffed on a cross ice pass in the offensive zone, the Bruins quickly regained possession. As the play transitioned from the Boston end, Lars Eller upended Dennis Seidenberg, leaving both players out of the play and the Canadiens on a delayed penalty. The play worked up ice and some slick passing between Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley set up Andrew Ference's second goal of the season.

Panthers 4, Devils 3

Despite jumping ahead with a three-goal lead, the Devils found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-3 final score. This one hurts, but Devils fans ought not overreact, writes John Fischer of In Lou We Trust:

A well-played first period was followed by two periods of dreck. It's one thing to lose a game while getting beaten on like the Boston game last week, it's another to watch what should be a definitive lead slip away. While going 3-2 on 5-game road trip against some tough teams isn't bad at all, tonight's bitter loss stings.

It's understandable to be upset. I'm certainly not happy by it; no Devil fan should be. The sad reality is that it happens in every season, though. If you think it's the worst loss ever or the worst since 2009, then you're not really thinking all that hard. As bad as this one is, I'd argue that it's not even the worst one this season. So be angry, be upset, be unhappy, but let's not lose perspective. Plus, the sun will come up tomorrow. Regardless, I think we can all agree the Devils need to bounce back in the next few game; that they should at least get leads and keep them.