The Florida Panthers took a 2-1 series lead Friday night at TD Garden after beating the Boston Bruins 6-2.
The Florida Panthers took a 2-1 series lead Friday night at TD Garden after beating the Boston Bruins 6-2.
The Boston Bruins strung together their first few shifts of sustained offensive-zone pressure of the night.
With only seven shots on goal through the opening 30 minutes of play Friday at TD Garden, the B’s began connecting and forced the Florida Panthers to play chase, resulting in a flurry of high-danger chances while trailing 1-0.
Just as the momentum started to creep in Boston’s favor, Mason Lohrei was sent to the box for a double-minor, high-sticking penalty at 14:37 of the second period. The Bruins’ one-goal deficit quickly turned into three. Vladimir Tarasenko and Carter Verhaeghe both struck on the man advantage to cushion the Panthers’ lead in their eventual 6-2 win in Game 3. Florida now leads the series 2-1.
“Florida was significantly better than us and I’ve got to come up with a better plan,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Friday.
Tarasenko’s snipe from the left circle and Verhaeghe’s net-front, tip-in tally gave Florida a 3-0 lift heading into the third period after Evan Rodrigues scored in the first frame.
Prior to Lohrei’s penalty, it looked like the Bruins – undeservedly so – could sneak into the third down just a goal after being wholly outplayed in all three zones for 40 minutes. However, Florida was finally able to capitalize on the power play after going 1-for-11 in the series leading up to the four-minute opportunity.
“Definitely need to be better at the netfront there, myself especially,” Brandon Carlo said Friday of the penalty kill. “There were some problems there, they created some zone time when we didn’t get our clears. You want to get the puck down 200 feet when you can.”
The Bruins’ difficulty with breaking the puck out of their own end bled into Game 3. The Panthers’ forecheck remained tenacious and fractured any Boston attempts at a clean shot or pass for that matter.
“Historically, the team that has more O-zone time in a series will – usually over seven games – prevail,” Montgomery said. “Special teams and goaltenders figure into that. We need to get better there, our own O-zone time and breaking pucks out.”
Things did not improve in the third period.
Brad Marchand did not dress for the final 20 due to an upper-body injury, and the Panthers netted their third and fourth power-play goals of the night. Brandon Montour’s came after a questionable goaltender interference call on Jakub Lauko at 2:07, and Rodrigues cashed in on the man advantage with less than a minute to play.
While Lauko got some redemption with scoring on a delayed penalty to make it 4-1 at 5:01, the wrister from the left side could not get Boston back into the game. The play marked Lauko’s first career playoff goal. Friday was Lauko’s first time back in the lineup since April 22.
“I’ve been waiting since the second game of the first round, so I was excited to jump in and bring energy, be hard on their players, be hard on the forecheck, create some chaos down there. I still think I can do a better job than I did today,” Lauko said Friday.
Jake DeBrusk brought the Bruins within two goals at 8:31 after he wired it past Sergei Bobrovsky off the rush for his fifth goal of the playoffs and the 4-2 scoreline. The Panthers followed it with an empty-netter from Sam Reinhart and Rodrigues’ second of the night to seal the 6-2 win.
The Bruins’ penalty kill faltered, and their power play didn’t do them any favors either. Boston is now 0-for-7 while up a man in the second round.
“You want to win every game, and it’s one of those things that you just try to feel the frustration to be honest with you,” DeBrusk said Friday. “After every game you kind of have an hour to digest and then you focus on what you need to do to get ready for the next game.”
Game 4 is set for Sunday at TD Garden with a 6:30 p.m. puck drop.
Recent Bruins News
Panthers Star Defender Mocks Bruins' Brad Marchand
Boston Bruins Fall 6-1 To Florida Panthers In Scrappy Game 2
Bruins' Jim Montgomery Rips Matthew Tkachuk for Cheap Shot on David Pastrnak