COLUMBUS, Ohio — Viktor Arvidsson was the second Bruin to score in the shootout, leading to a 4-3 comeback overtime win over the Blue Jackets Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

Arvidsson scored as the third Boston shooter, after Fraser Minten led off with a goal. Ex-Bruin Charlie Coyle, the third Jackets shooter, pulled the hosts even momentarily, but Arvidsson delivered the Bruins’ 42nd win of the season with his doorstep strike on Jet Greaves (35 saves).

Goals by Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, and Coyle provided the Jackets with what looked like an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the first period.

But the Bruins scored three times in the final frame to stunningly head to overtime. Pavel Zacha provided the 3-3 equalizer on a power play with 11 seconds left in regulation.

Zacha’s game-tying tally was possible thanks to goals by Charlie McAvoy (at 6:29) and Zacha’s first of the night (8:43). Jeremy Swayman, making starts on back-to-back nights, made 21 stops to earn his 30th win of the campaign, adding to his career best mark.

Get Starting Point

A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.

All the good mojo the Bruins generated the day before in a thorough 6-3 win over the Wild was drained in the first 20 minutes. They came out a listless mess.

The Blue Jackets struck three times in the opening period, Jenner and Marchment delivering a 1-2 punch in a span of 1:28 for the 2-0 lead, and then Coyle jacking it up to 3-0 with his goal with only 27.9 seconds to go before the break.

The Bruins came out lukewarm and never came close to heating up, despite Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic trying to drag them into the battle with a couple of big fights.

Bruin forward Tanner Jeannot (right) drops the gloves with Blue Jacket big-man Erik Gudbranson during Sunday’s clash in Columbus, Ohio. Jason Mowry/Getty

Jeannot led off the attempt with 2:25 to go in the period with his club in a 2-0 deficit. He went toe-to-toe with the much bigger Erik Gudbranson, each of the combatants throwing big swings, attempting to land knockout punches.

Only six seconds after order was restored, Kastelic and another tough customer, Mathieu Olivier, got into it, each of them every bit as battle ready as Jeannot and Gudbranson. Big men in nasty moods.

For those who still like the fight game, both bouts had legit jam. No theater; real punches and real anger … reminiscent of when Team USA and Team Canada meet up on the big stage.

Despite all that emotion, it did not translate to better play or fortunes for the Bruins. They remained too loose in all zones, eventually leading Coyle to snipe in a sharp wrister from the right wing faceoff dot on a power play to provide the three-goal lead.

The Bruins provided a better effort in the second frame, rolling up an impressive 12-5 shot advantage for the 20 minutes, but could not put a dent in the three-goal deficit. They had a handful of what looked like developing scoring bids, but those chances repeatedly fell apart in the Columbus end. Those plays typically broke down once the Bruins advanced the puck to the top of the faceoff circles.

The period was toughest of all on referee Francis Charron, who had the misfortune of getting hit by a Nikita Zadorov slapshot around the six-minute mark. It appeared to hit Charron high on a thigh, and he was clearly in pain as play continued to roll.

About one more minute into the action, at the next stop in play, Charron limped his way down the tunnel assisted by a some of the Jackets training staff.

Play continued on with Kyle Rehman the lone referee, still accompanied by linesmen Brandon Gawryletz and Travis Gawryletz.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.