Bruins Pushed to Brink of Elimination as Fans Lament 3rd-Period Collapse vs. Panthers
The Boston Bruins wanted to come out with some passion after a fiery Game 3 against the Florida Panthers.
The Bruins were without captain Brad Marchand for the first time in 156 playoff games after he went down with an upper-body injury in Game 3, and players like Trent Frederic promised a response was coming.
That response did come early, but Florida got the crown jewel with a three-goal comeback to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Charlie McAvoy delivered the physical response on the first shift, taking Sam Reinhart down in explosive fashion.
However, a big hit wasn't going to be enough to put a dent in the series deficit.
The Bruins needed to strike first, and a first-period power play gave David Pastrnak a chance to do just that as he unleashed a blistering one-timer to give his team the lead.
Boston would build on the lead before the period ended, with a knuckle puck shot from Brandon Carlo finding its way to the back of the net to make it a 2-0 lead.
Florida was not going to bow down easily, however. This was proven when Anton Lundell fired a shot from the corner boards and beat Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.
The Panthers would end the second period trailing by a single goal but would tie-it when Sam Bennett secured a powerplay tally early in the third.
The Bruins would challenge the call but it would stand as a good goal. To say the Bruins fans accepted this ruling graciously would be inaccurate.
Minutes later, Aleksander Barkov gave Florida its first lead of the game with an excellent dangle and snipe.
The Bruins failed to provide much momentum for the remainder of the game, and Florida coasted to the win and now have three opportunities to clinch a return to the conference finals.
Fans took to social media and declared that the Bruins don't have what it takes to get by the Panthers.
The Bruins will now have to attempt to come back from a 3-1 deficit to pull off the upset. That may sound a little familiar.
After a record-setting campaign a season ago, Boston held a 3-1 lead over Florida in the first round. The Panthers would famously win three straight and pull off a stunner before turning that momentum into a Stanley Cup Final appearance.
The chances of that happening for a Bruins team that has managed to get significantly outshot all series seems a bit unlikely. However, historical precedent says it can be done.
To attempt to make that run, Boston will need to first get a win on the road in Sunrise, Florida. That chance will come on Tuesday with puck-drop set for 7 p.m. ET.
