Bennett, Panthers pick up big win in Game 4, pushing Boston to brink of elimination
Florida trailed 2-0 after the first period before storming back to claim victory from the Bruins
The Florida Panthers sure seem to enjoy playing hockey at TD Garden.
After winning three straight games in the building last postseason to upset the Boston Bruins in the opening round, the Panthers just claimed back-to-back games above North Station, punctuated by Sunday’s 3-2 comeback win in Game 4.
Florida now leads their best-of-7 second round series with the Bruins 3-1.
Perhaps to set the tone following the events of Game 3, Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy leveled Cats forward Sam Reinhart as he crossed the Panthers blue line just moments after the opening puck drop.
After that it was special teams that got things started for the home team.
A few minutes after Boston killed off the first Panthers power play of the game, David Pastrnak fired a one-timer past Sergei Bobrovsky with the Bruins on the power play to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Boston doubled their advantage late in the first thanks to a failed clear and fluky goal. Brandon Carlo found the puck at Florida’s blue line and fired a weak wrist shot toward the net eluded Bobrovsky on the blocker side.
It took nearly two periods but the Panthers finally got on the board late in the middle frame.
Evan Rodrigues made a quick pass from behind the Bruins goal to Anton Lundell in the left faceoff circle, and the young Finn fired a one-timer over the shoulder of Jersey Swayman at the 14:51 mark.
An early power play in the third period would prove advantageous for Florida thanks to the most hated man in the building: Sam Bennett.
On a play where Bennett shoved Charlie Coyle into the goal crease and seemingly into Swayman, Bennett popped in a loose puck just after the push to tie the game at two.
Boston challenged the goal, but it would be upheld after a review.
Less than four minutes later, Sasha Barkov turned a nice keep at the Bruins blue line into a gorgeous, dangling goal through several Boston defenders to give Florida their first lead of the game.
That would be all the Panthers needed. They held Boston to only two shots on goal during the final 20 minutes and claimed their fifth straight playoff victory at TD Garden.
On to Game 5.
Here are some thoughts and observations from Game 4 in Boston:
Barkov is now up to five goals and 11 points over his past five games.
Florida finished 1-for-6 on the power play and went 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Lundell’s goal was his first of the playoffs. He added an assist on Bennett’s goal and is now up to seven points in Florida’s nine postseason games.
Boston scored two goals on their first five shots. They then scored zero goals on their next 13.
Rodrigues logged a pair of assists, giving him four points over his past two games.
After going four games with no shots on goal, Vladimir Tarasenko logged six shots, and added a goal and an assist, during Games 3 and 4 in Boston.
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