In their most important game of the year for their mental state as well as for the standings, the Bruins did what their coach instructed them to do.
They woke up.
The B’s overcame three one-goal deficits and seized their first lead of the game with 2:31 remaining on Pavel Zacha’s goal, ultimately beating the Florida Panthers, 4-3, in Sunrise, Fla.
The B’s successfully defended against the 6-on-5 for over two minutes to secure the much needed win.
It wasn’t flawless, but it resembled playoff-style hockey, physical and aggressive, and the B’s emerged victorious for a change, ending a two-game losing streak that had left their coach very frustrated.
After receiving a strong reprimand from coach Jim Montgomery for a lackluster start to Monday’s practice, the B’s replicated that effort on the first shift of the game and found themselves trailing by a goal just 27 seconds in.
It was a trademark Panthers’ shift to begin the game. Vladimir Tarasenko engaged in the forecheck and delivered a hit that knocked Morgan Geekie’s helmet off. Instead of retrieving the helmet, Geekie left the ice and the B’s were in disarray. Eventually, Sasha Barkov directed a difficult angle shot towards the net. Jeremy Swayman couldn’t catch it, allowing it to pass him and reach Evan Rodrigues, who had an easy shot.
Matthew Tkachuk then baited Parker Wotherspoon into taking a roughing penalty with a low reverse hit, leading the B’s to go on the penalty kill. They survived it, and then endured a few more minutes of Florida pressure before taking the offensive themselves.
After dominating the play for a significant portion of the period, the B’s leveled the score with 2:37 remaining in the first through a strong shift. It all began with a successful reverse hit by David Pastrnak on Tkachuk along the left wall, allowing him to pass the puck to Zacha a few feet away. Zacha then fed Matt Grzelcyk at the left point, and with the Panthers focusing their efforts on the left side, Grzelcyk passed to Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy advanced into the right circle and fired a powerful shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 10th goal of the year, ending a 10-game pointless streak.
However, with the B’s recently, good events usually precede a negative occurrence and they could not escape the period unscathed. Brandon Carlo retrieved a puck behind his net and as he attempted to pass it to Hampus Lindholm, he stumbled and missed his mark. Dmitry Kulikov intercepted the puck and passed it to Eetu Luostarinen, who delivered it across the top of the crease for a Sam Reinhart redirect past Swayman with 1:04 left in the period.
In the second period, the Panthers sought to display their strength. Following an especially aggressive confrontation, Sam Bennett held Lindholm’s head down just long enough to provoke the typically calm Swede. Lindholm responded by throwing a punch and engaging in a fight, resulting in his first career fighting major.
A bit later in the period, 5-foot-9 Brad Marchand engaged in a fight with 6-foot-5 Niko Mikkola, who then brought Marchand to the ground. Both players received matching penalties.
While the physical play was expected to benefit the Panthers, the B’s once again tied the game at 15:59. Marchand caused a turnover on the forecheck, putting the Panthers on the defensive. The puck eventually reached McAvoy on the right wall. He manipulated the puck and then found a wide-open Pastrnak in front of the net. He was just able to get it over Bobrovsky’s left pad for his 45th goal and 100th point of the season. Pastrnak became the first Bruin in 30 years to achieve back-to-back 100-point seasons since Adam Oates accomplished it from 1992-94.
The Bruins were playing well in the third period until one mistake ruined their effort. Charlie Coyle missed the net with a shot, leading to an opportunity for the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe scored at 9:53.
The Panthers gave the Bruins a chance when Kevin Stenlund slashed McAvoy, but Marchand nullified the power play with an interference penalty.
The Bruins had another opportunity when Rodrigues shot the puck into the crowd with 5:43 left in the third. They tied the game for the third time when Marchand entered the zone and assisted on Trent Frederic's goal at 4:22.
Then the Bruins got lucky with a goal to take their first lead with 2:31 remaining in regulation. Pastrnak's pass deflected off Zacha's skate for the 4-3 lead.