Florida returns home with series tied 1-1
The Florida Panthers played one of their best periods of the season Wednesday night in Boston.
Florida outscored the Bruins 4-1 during the final twenty minutes, taking the game by a final of 6-3.
The Panthers will now return to South Florida for two games with the series tied at one game apiece.
Sam Bennett played his first game for Florida in a month and proved to be one of the difference makers.
His physical play was apparent from the game’s opening shift, he scored the Panthers’ first goal of the game and led all players with seven shots.
It wasn’t until Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice moved around the forward lines, reuniting Bennett with Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk, that the game really turned in the Panthers favor.
Another element of the Florida’s win that must not be overlooked is the latest outstanding effort from goaltender Alex Lyon.
The 30-year-old made several key saves when the game was still scoreless to keep things manageable for the Cats and continued to do so as the Panthers began to get their offense going.
The series now shifts back to South Florida for Game 3 on Friday night.
FIRST PERIOD
Bennett started the game for Florida and was flying right off the bat, throwing a big hit behind the Bruins net on Charlie McAvoy.
Lyon came up with his first substantial save of the game about two minutes in, sliding to his right and stopping a doorstep deflection by Kyle Clifton.
A steal by Tkachuk at the Bruins blue line led to a glorious opportunity for Eetu Luostarinen on Linus Ullmark, but the massive goaltender came up with a pair of saves to keep the game scoreless.
Radko Gudas announced his presence with authority on a shift about six minutes into the game when he basically became Brad Marchand's shadow, knocking him to the ice several times while following around the Florida zone.
Ryan Lomberg was called for the game's first penalty about 11 minutes into the game, giving a hard cross-check to the back of Marchand in Florida's end of the ice.
A solid penalty kill by the Panthers, assisted by a couple nice Lyon saves, bailed Lomberg and the Cats out.
Bennett showed off his wheels late in the period, hustling about 150 feet on a backcheck to negate what was a Bruins 4-on-2 rush.
Gus Forsling was called for tripping David Pastrnak with just over a minute to go, but it was Sasha Barkov who would come away with the best opportunity.
Barkov won the puck in the neutral zone and beat Hampus Lindholm to Boston's blue line, cutting in on Ullmark, who made a sprawling save with his right pad.
The Bruins held a 12-9 edge in shots and would have a brief power play to start the second period, but the game remained scoreless after one.
SECOND PERIOD
A great right pad save by Lyon on Tyler Bertuzzi kept Boston from taking a lead on the remainder of the Forsling penalty.
Shortly after the penalty expired, a nice play by Tkachuk at the Bruins blue line sent Bennett in alone on Ullmark.
Bennett beat Ullmark between the arm and the body, giving the Panthers their first lead of the series.
It was around this time that Paul Maurice began tinkering with his lines, reuniting the line of Bennett, Verhaeghe and Tkachuk while sending San Reinhart and Luostarinen up with Sasha Barkov, and Anthony Duclair down to third line with Anton Lundell and Lomberg.
A great shift by Florida's fourth line led to the Panthers first power play of the game. Nick Cousins fed a streaking Colin White as he moved toward the net, and a slash by Derek Forbort did not go unnoticed by the officials.
The best look of the power play came off the stick of Duclair as he flew into the zone and took a nice pass from Verhaeghe, but Ullmark got his blocker on the puck.
It wasn't long before the Panthers got another power play, this time coming after Lindholm was called for tripping Reinhart in the neutral zone.
A terrible giveaway by Duclair in Florida's zone would lead to Marchand getting in all alone and beating Lyon under his glove to tie the game at one.
The game wouldn't stay tied for long.
Cousins found a wide-open Eric Staal cutting through the high slot and he ripped a shot past Ullmark's blocker and into the top corner of the net. Florida was back in front 2-1 with 5:42 to go in the middle frame.
A Lomberg slashing penalty would give Boston a power play soon after the goal.
Despite a strong PK effort for the majority, Bertuzzi would tip home a Pavel Zacha shot with one second left in the man advantage to tie the game back up heading to the final twenty minutes.
THIRD PERIOD
The third period got off to a hell of a start with both teams skating four-on-four.
Brandon Montour scored on a wrist shot from the point that somehow beat Ullmark just 22 seconds into the frame.
Barkov provided a great screen in front, and Montour waited until he had a lane to shoot.
Marc Staal was called for high sticking less than a moment later after catching Taylor Hall across the face during a zone entry.
This time the Panthers would complete the penalty kill, once again with an assist from Lyon and his goaltending skills.
Another great play by Bennett led to Florida's first two-goal lead of the game.
Bennett came down the boards in the Bruins' zone and unloaded a crushing body check on McAvoy as Boston was trying to exit the zone.
The puck bounced to Tkachuk, who gloved it down to his tape and fed a streaking Verhaeghe on the left wing.
Verhaeghe snapped the puck past an Ullmark two-pad stack attempt and with exactly 13 minutes to go, Florida was up 4-2.
Bertuzzi had Florida's bench buzzing after hitting Ekblad in the back of the head after a whistle. Bennett went after Bertuzzi and both sat for two minutes.
Shortly after the 4-on-4 ended, Brandon Montour blasted home a shot from the Boston blue line that beat Ullmark over the glove and suddenly Florida was up by three.
The Bruins would pull Ullmark with around five minutes to go and the Panthers would take advantage.
Luostarinen's second career playoff goal would make it 6-2 Cats.
Things got nasty late, with one play in particular that may get some attention from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Tomas Nosek hit Eric Staal in the face long after Staal had sent the puck around the boards, and it appeared to be with either an elbow or with the butt-end of Nosek’s stick.
Staal was furious, as was Maurice, but the officials made no call on the play.
The game’s final significant moment came when Hall squeaked a shot past Lyon with 70 seconds to go, but by then it was all for naught.
GAME NOTES
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