BOSTON — The Boston Bruins just keep finding ways to win.
The B’s extended their point streak to 18 games Thursday night with one of their most thrilling victories of the season. After erasing a two-goal deficit earlier in the contest, Boston lit the lamp twice in the final 37 seconds of the game to earn a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers.
Patrice Bergeron found the back of the net twice for the B’s, including the game-winner. Tuukka Rask kept his personal point streak alive with a 22-save performance.
With the win, the Bruins improve to 41-17-9, while the Panthers fall to 28-27-12.
Here’s how it all went down:
SCORELESS FIRST
Both teams had their chances in the opening frame, but neither could get on the board.
It was a fairly evenly matched first 20 minutes, as the Panthers narrowly outshot the Bruins by a 10-9 margin. It wasn’t the sharpest display of hockey, though, as each side accounted for nine giveaways.
Florida put itself in position to draw first blood at the 11:26 mark when Matt Grzelcyk was nabbed for a hooking penalty, but the Bruins’ penalty kill stood tall. The Panthers’ PK followed suit less than four minutes later, as Boston failed to capitalize on the man advantage following a Vincent Trocheck high-sticking infraction.
PANTHERS POT A PAIR, B’S RESPOND
It didn’t take very long into the second period for the Panthers to do damage.
Florida jumped on the power play just over two minutes into the frame following a Brandon Carlo high-sticking penalty. The visitors needed just 27 seconds to strike on the man advantage, as Aleksander Barkov stationed himself in front of the net and deflected a Keith Yandle shot to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Some keen hand-eye coordination allowed Florida to double its lead less than four minutes later. The Panthers were awarded their third penalty of the contest after Zdeno Chara was called for a delay of game for dumping the puck into the stands. Just under 30 seconds into the man advantage, a Barkov shot was tipped and Jonathan Huberdeau patiently waited for the airborne puck to reach waist level before batting it past Rask.
But the Bruins would not go empty-handed in the second. Boston capitalized on Florida’s inability to clear its zone, as Danton Heinen pursued the puck and quickly dished it to David Krejci. The two executed a give-and-go to perfection, with Krejci finishing the sequence with a silky-smooth goal from a tough angle.
THIRD-PERIOD THRILLER
The Panthers tortured the Bruins on the power play in the second period, but Florida’s fifth man advantage of the night didn’t bring it much luck.
The B’s managed to knot the game at 2-2 despite being a man down due to a Torey Krug holding penalty. After coasting along the boards, Charlie McAvoy fed a streaking Bergeron, who took a few strides toward net before firing a wrist shot past Roberto Luongo.
The game wouldn’t stay deadlocked for very long, though. Just over two minutes after Bergeron’s game-tying tally, Huberdeau’s second goal of the game put the Panthers back on top. The veteran forward evaded Chara with a slick spin move before beating Rask through the five-hole.
But the Bruins would not say die. With the goalie pulled and under a minute remaining, Grzelcyk brought the game back to a tie with a rifle of a shot from the point, clanking the crossbar before crossing the goal line.
With all the momentum on their side, the B’s didn’t let this one head into overtime, as Bergeron wristed the game-winner with 6.7 seconds to go.
UP NEXT
The Bruins wrap up their six-game homestand Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET.
This Bruins Wrap is presented by Plainridge Park Casino.
