If you watched the first few shifts of the game, you'd have expected the first period to be lopsided.
But not the way it wound up.
Boston started the game with a series of strong attacking shifts, but Rick Nash got behind the Bruins defense and beat Tim Thomas high on a breakaway to give Columbus the early lead, and after the Jackets killed a Bruins power play, Jeff Carter converted on the first Columbus power play of the game.
Milan Lucic gave the Blue Jackets their first man advantage, and on his next shift back, slashed and cross-checked RJ Umberger to put Columbus back up a man for four minutes late in the period.
The Bruins killed the first half of Lucic's penalty, and Columbus seemed to have a 3-0 lead but Tim Thomas made a spectacular diving glove save to keep the Blue Jackets from getting the so-crucial third goal.
Lucic came out of the box and stayed on the ice, which was surprising enough in and of itself, but he saved the puck from a clear and got it to Joe Corvo at the right point. Corvo beat Curtis Samford with a slapshot from the point, and the Bruins had turned the corner.
On the same shift, just 45 seconds later, Nathan Horton settled into his office and Lucic found him with a neat pass that he quickly wristed past Samford to tie the game up.