Jesper Boqvist scored the game-winning goal in overtime Saturday afternoon at TD Garden.
Jesper Boqvist pinched on the walls, stripped Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the puck and took off, roofing it top-shelf to secure the Boston Bruins’ 3-2 overtime win over the Florida Panthers.
“I just took a chance and jumped there, and this time it worked. Just tried to hit the net,” Boqvist said. “Didn’t think too much, just kind of happened. Good feeling for sure.”
Boqvist – who was recently promoted to the third-line center position – was the ultimate hero Saturday afternoon at TD Garden in a playoff-like matchup that showcased the best of a lot of Bruins players.
Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle potted the other two goals for Boston, Linus Ullmark dazzled with 28 saves and the Bruins played with a togetherness that has led to their 5-1-0 record in the last six games.
“I think everybody’s really comfortable with who we are, how we need to execute, the effort required and the physicality that’s required,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “I think that’s where our group now has confidence – how to close out games.”
The Panthers took an early first-period lead with a goal from Matthew Tkachuk at 00:37. Vladimir Tarasenko dumped the puck into the offensive zone and it took a weird bounce off the end boards before finding Tkachuk open by the inside hash marks. The forward wristed it past Ullmark for the 1-0 advantage and his 25th of the season.
McAvoy tied things 1-1 after a strong keep-in from defensive partner Hampus Lindholm at the blue line. Danton Heinen sauced it to a streaking McAvoy in the slot who wired it home at 5:42. McAvoy now has three points in the last two games against the Panthers, logging a goal and an assist in March 26’s 4-3 win.
“I think we’re just trying to put together our best game right now going into the playoffs,” McAvoy said. “There’s a certain simplicity that we have to play, but it allows us to have success. At times it might be boring, but it’s winning hockey.”
The Bruins went 0-for-3 on the power play in the first. The Panthers' penalty kill stole the show and limited sustained zone time and high-danger chances.
Tempers flared in the middle frame as the game gained its expected physical, chippy edge. Tkachuk was at the center of the scrums, and took his second penalty of the period at 14:18 for boarding Parker Wotherspoon into the glass.
Boston finally struck on its fourth power play of the game to grab a 2-1 lead. Coyle crashed the net and redirected a Brad Marchand shot from the left circle at 15:45. The play marked Coyle’s seventh power play tally of the season, and third point in as many games.
“On our bench we could sense frustration in the first – the three power plays and not coming through. We talked about how that next one is the one that matters,” Montgomery said.
The Panthers found the 2-2 equalizer at 5:24 of the third period while the teams skated 4-on-4 with McAvoy and Anton Lundell both in the box. Captain Aleksander Barkov knocked in a rebound from the left doorstep to get his team back in the game and ultimately force overtime.
Boqvist’s overtime, game-winning goal secured the regular-season sweep of the Panthers, and a much-important sense of consistency in the Bruins’ play as the playoffs near.
“It gives you confidence as a group to win those ones first off, but just to do it and play the way we want to play,” Coyle said. “To come back when those little lapses happen, next shift comes and does the right thing – that’s the sign of a good team. You can see we’ve learned that, and it’s starting to all come together.”
The Bruins are back in action Tuesday as they host the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden for the teams’ second meeting in five days.
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