Between the game script, the timing and context of the season and the league standings, Boston's 4-3 win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday checked a lot of boxes in one of the more important games of the season.
The Boston Bruins faced a massive matchup on Tuesday. Having lost two straight, and with coach Jim Montgomery sending a clear message during Monday's practice, the Bruins' response would be significant.
Not only was it about Boston's response to their recent form, but this was a crucial divisional matchup with playoffs around the corner against the same team that ended their historic 2022-23 season in a first-round upset: the Florida Panthers.
Both teams entered Tuesday with the same amount of points (97), tied for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The game would represent a four-point swing, with the winning team gaining significant ground with less than a dozen games remaining in the regular season.
So when the Bruins went down 3-2 midway through the third period, it looked like their tough times were about to get worse. Instead, Boston scored twice in the final five minutes to steal the 4-3 win.
“I just liked the way that our team kept competing, and we battled for each other," Montgomery told reporters in Florida after the game. "We were in every battle together. All five guys stuck together, and that’s what we need.”
The contributions came from up-and-down the lineup, from David Pastrnak recording his 100th (and 101st) point of the season to Jeremy Swayman scoring his first NHL point with the secondary assist on Trent Frederic's tying power-play goal
It wasn't the only career first of the night, as Hampus Lindholm had his first NHL fight after dropping the gloves with Panthers forward Sam Bennett at 5:11 of the second period.
“That’s our team’s mentality: next guy up," Swayman said. "And no matter who’s up, they’re gonna give it their all and again, I’ll take every one of my guys in this locker room over anyone, so really special. Huge momentum builder for us, and obviously it worked.”
The collective effort was exactly what Montgomery wanted to see, and his team passed the test. The Panthers have lost five of their last six games, and the Bruins could sense their desperation to right the ship. Their ability to battle past that impressed captain Brad Marchand.
“It’s never easy to play any team this time of year, but the teams that we do play, I mean, a lot of them are on top of the league or the few that aren’t are fighting for their lives, and that’s what you want," Marchand said. "We want to be a part of these games that’ll get us prepared mentally, physically. It’ll help us fine-tune our game, making sure that we’re playing the right way coming to playoffs.”
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