The Bruins return to action was not a work of art,  but it delivered them the two points they needed to start the final stretch run.

With the Columbus Blue Jacketss breathing down their necks in the Eastern Conference standings, the B’s gutted out a 4-2 victory over the Jackets at the Garden on Thursday.

A couple of former Blue Jackets figured prominently in the win. Joonas Korpisalo was by far the B’s B’s best player, making 36 saves for the victory while Sean Kuraly’s third period goal held up as the game-winner.

The win pushed the B’s lead over Columbus to six points.

With many of the players coming off a three-week break, and the others switching gears from the Olympics, it was anyone’s guess what the hockey would look like.

In the first period, that strange brew heavily favored the Blue Jackets. But Korpisalo, who got the start over USA gold medalist Jeremy Swayman (in civvies for the night), was spectacular and the B’s were able to get to the break tied 1-1. The Jackets held a 20-10 shot advantage in the first and almost half of those shots were high-danger chances.

Columbus took the first lead of the game at 4:28. Mason Marchment sent a long stretch pass up the middle for Kirill Marchenko. Charlie McAvoy was there at center ice to pick it off, but the puck bounced off his stick blade and continued on its intended trajectory to Marchenko, who beat Korpisalo on a clean breakaway.

The Jackets had chances to break the game open but Korpisalo kept the B’s in it. His best save came on a 2-on-1 when he went post-to-post to thwart Adam Fantilli.

The B’s earned a good break to tie it up at 15:51. Jonathan Aspirot made a nice play in the neutral zone to step up and pick off a Columbus breakout pass. He rimmed it around to Viktor Arvidsson and, with Casey Mittelstadt in the slot, Arvidsson sent it his way. It didn’t get to Mittelstadt but it hit off Isac Lundestrom’s stick and went past Elvis Merzlikins for Arvidsson’s 15th of the year.

Both teams had one power play apiece in the first, both of which were unsuccessful.

The B’s took the lead on their second power play at 6:54 of the second, but it came at a cost. Miles Wood ran into Korpisalo and was called for goalie interference. Korpisalo was shaken up but initially stayed in net. After the TV timeout, however, he was pulled, presumably by the concussion spotter.

With Swayman out, that meant Michael DiPietro was thrust into action.

The B’s would quickly give DiPietro a lead. Morgan Geekie beat Merzlikins with a shortside blast off a David Pastrnak feed. It was Geekie’s 33rd of the year, tying his career best he set last season.

After DiPietro made two saves, Korpisalo returned to the game at 12:16.

The B’s stretched it to 3-1 at 11:15 of the third period.

They were gifted a power play midway through the period when Marchment made a good stick check on Fraser Minten but was called for a penalty. The B’s could not cash in on the advantage, but they doubled their lead quickly after Marchment left the box.

Sean Kuraly was chasing down a loose puck in the neutral zone when defenseman Damon Severson stumbled, giving Kuraly a step. From the left circle, Kuraly beat his old teammate with a slapper, his fifth goal of the year.

But the Jackets would not go away. They cut the lead in half at 13:45 when Fantilli, who hit the post at the start of the third, was allowed to drift into the high slot and he beat Korpisalo with a well-placed wrist shot off the post.

Zach Werenski then had a chance for the equalizer from the left side but Korpisalo flashed his pad to deny the Olympian.

The Jackets pulled Merzlikins and the B’s barely held on. Pastrnak iced the puck a couple of times, going for the empty netter.

But with 33 seconds remaining, Arvidsson finally scored the empty netter to seal it.