Jared Boll’s First Goal in a Calendar Year

Boll did just that Sunday when – inserted into the lineup after two straight scratches – he scored for the first time since Feb. 13, 2015 by tipping in Dalton Prout’s slap shot from the blue line during 2-1 road loss to the New Jersey Devils.

“I didn’t really see the puck,” Boll said. “It was coming through bodies and then at the last second it hit my stick. I was kind of in the right place at the right time. You learn as a little kid if you go to the net, good things happen. That’s kind of what happened.”

The Columbus bench erupted as if Boll – who was the only player on the roster who hadn’t scored this season – had just potted a crucial one in the Stanley Cup finals. The joy spoke volumes about how respected the grizzled right wing is on the team.

“He’s a good pro,” Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “He’s had a year where he hasn’t been in the lineup a whole bunch. He’s handled himself very well. You could see when he scored a goal how our bench reacted. He’s an easy guy to like, an easy guy to pull for.”