One: In a typical "first game back" from the holiday break, both teams were somewhat tentative. The Blue Jackets were passing with a crisper pace that was tape-to-tape, for the most part. The game seemed gain a bit of an edge as time wore on. The refs must have been being pre-emptive in keeping things in check, as they gave Dalton Prout and Milan Lucic matching roughing penalties for nothing more than a shove or two.
Two: They played much better in front of Curtis McElhinney than they have all season and they didn't let their foot off the gas. By keeping the Bruins cleared away from the goal, they allowed McElhinney clear lanes to see the puck. They frustrated the Bruins all night long by getting the puck deep and controlling possession.
Three: It was a night of numbers, as Jeremy Moring scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket. Head coach Todd Richards won game number 100 with the Blue Jackets. Kevin Connauton, after scoring just one goal in his NHL career, has now scored 4 in 14 games. And Nick Foligno scored goal number 17 on the season, one off his career high of 18 (2013-14). He's done this in just 33 games.
