Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena — Courtesy: Shutterstock — YES Market Media
The Florida Panthers weren’t going to stop the Boston Bruins from starting their season on such a strong note.
“It was an important win, especially after last year,” said forward Pavel Zacha, who scored with 84 seconds left in overtime to lead the Bruins to a 3-2 win over the team that ended last year’s record-setting regular season with a first-round playoff elimination. “This game meant a little bit more. … You just want to beat teams like this, especially after the playoffs. And we’re happy that we won.”
Boston, which trailed 2-0 in the first period and needed to rally with four defensemen at the end of the game due to Matt Grzelcyk’s injury and Charlie McAvoy’s game penalty, also had goals from Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy.
The Bruins are still unbeaten in regulation (8-0) one year after breaking NHL records for most points and victories during the regular season, only to fall to the Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs.
Linus Ullmark, who made 35 saves, stated, “Obviously, we all know what happened last year.” “For us, at least, this was going to be a slightly more emotional game.”
Florida defeated Boston in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Aleksander Barkov scored once and provided an assist, while Sergei Bobrovsky saved 23 shots.
Half an hour into the match, Barkov gave the Panthers the lead. With five minutes remaining in the frame, he assisted in making it 2-0 by taking advantage of a turnover behind the net by youngster Matthew Poitras and passing it to Sam Reinhart up front.
Four minutes into the second period, Marchand sliced the lead in half on a backhand feed from Jake DeBrusk. Seven minutes into the third round, McAvoy knotted the score after initiating the Bruins’ zone break.
However, McAvoy’s game misconduct was called into question halfway through the last half after he elbowed Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the head. Zacha’s wrist shot from the right side of the court won overtime for the Bruins, who had just used their five-minute power play.
In the second period, Panthers forward Sam Bennett—who was playing in his first game of the season after missing the first seven due to an injury to his lower body—needed assistance leaving the rink. Following a fall on his left leg in front of the net by Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm, Bennett was visibly in discomfort and unable to bear any weight on it.
Grzelcyk left the first period with an upper-body injury, according to the team, and was not expected back.
On Monday, the Bruins signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year contract worth a $775,000 cap hit. In 65 games with the Penguins past season, Heinen finished with eight goals and fourteen assists. He was transferred to Anaheim after playing in Boston from 2016 to 20 after being originally drafted by the Bruins in the fourth round of the 2014 draft.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
