Even the Panthers’ most outspokenly confident player admitted to experiencing a little doubt Sunday night at TD Garden.
But once Florida gave itself new life in Game 7 of its first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series with Boston, it seems like everyone on the visitors’ bench knew what was going to happen in sudden death.
The Bruins were one minute away from avoiding a catastrophic opening-round collapse, but with their goalie pulled, the Panthers knotted things up with Brandon Montour’s second goal of Game 7. After the Florida defenseman delivered in the clutch, head coach Paul Maurice was confident his club was going to secure a third consecutive victory over the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
“We’re down a goal with under two minutes to go against Boston, I wouldn’t bet everything (on us to win) because the math doesn’t add up,” Maurice told reporters, per NHL.com. “Except when that puck goes in, you go, ‘Oh… we’re going to win this game.’ “
And win they did, as Carter Verhaeghe potted the game-winning goal 8:35 into the extra frame. The Eastern Conference’s second wild-card team now is onto the second round of the playoffs where it will match up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
