Bruins Stun Twitter with 'Lifeless' Play in Game 7 OT Loss vs. Panthers
May 1, 2023
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 30: The Florida Panthers celebrate the overtime win against the Boston Bruins in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 30, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Boston Bruins were 59 seconds away from the Eastern Conference semifinals when the Florida Panthers scored on Sunday night.
Brandon Montour's late 6-on-5 goal tied the game in the last minute of regulation, stunning Boston fans and forcing overtime. Boston lost 4-3 on Carter Verhaeghe's goal and was eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It was a rollercoaster Game 7 for Bruins enthusiasts.
The Bruins had lost only 20 total games this season, five of which came courtesy of the Panthers. Florida showed why by dominating early, putting the Bruins in a 2-0 hole just over a minute into the second period.
David Krejci cut the deficit to one in the second period when he beat Sergei Bobrovsky's blocker on a power play with his first postseason goal. However, blind passes, miscues and giveaways plagued the Bruins throughout the rest of the frame, entering the break trailing 2-1.
The Bruins are lifeless and the turnovers are equal parts baffling and inexcusable
— Sara 'pepcid ac lover' Civian (@SaraCivian) April 30, 2023
I don’t even wanna know how many turnovers the #bruins have in this series, but I’m guessing it’s a billion.
When the puck dropped for the start of the third, it seemed the momentum had shifted.
The Bruins overwhelmed the Panthers on an early power play, and Tyler Bertuzzi scored to tie the game at 2. Suddenly, this looked like the Boston team that recorded an NHL record 65 wins during the regular season.
David Pastrnak earned the Bruins their first lead of the game by scoring on a long rebound off of Brandon Carlo's shot, making the score 3-2 with 15 minutes remaining. It looked like the team had done enough to take Game 7.
The Bruins held on to the lead for 14 minutes until Montour beat Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the final sixty seconds to tie the game at 3.
In overtime, Swayman blocked a breakaway from Matthew Tkachuk and made a point-blank stop on Carter Verhaeghe to keep the Bruins alive, but it was Verhaeghe who got the last laugh. His goal at 8:35 of OT ended Boston's historic season.
Bruins fans were left stunned, especially given that this the last game of captain Patrice Bergeron's contract.
That…might be genuinely the worst meltdown in Boston sports history.
1978 Red Sox, 2010 Bruins, 2007 Pats, could even throw the 2011 Red Sox in there too. “Rarified” air we’re talking about.
Hate to say it but the Bruins deserve every criticism coming their way. Up 3-1 in the series, 3 blown 3rd period leads in games 6&7 while being outplayed for the majority of overtime in Game 7. Love them but outside of 2011 they find ways to lose when it matters most.
Bergys done. And so begins the rebuild era. Guaranteed to never see a Bruins team with this many hall of famers on it again the rest of my life. May never see a cup win again. This one's worse than 2019 https://t.co/meUORlnzOe
Patrice Bergeron is a great player and one of my favorite Boston athletes of all-time. Sucks this may be the last time we watched him play. But there’s no denying it. The Bruins have underachieved, choked and disappointed more times over the past 15 years than they’ve succeeded.
The most frustrating part of this series is that the Bruins never played their game. This ain’t the same team we saw throughout the season. This sucks.
It was not just the fact such an amazing season ended in the first round, but the B's blew a 3-1 series lead. What a heartbreaking ending to an incredible season. Keep the faith though. Go Bruins!!!#NHLBruins
Boston became the first Presidents' Trophy winner to be eliminated in the first round since the Tampa Bay Lightning were upset by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2019 playoffs.
The Panthers, having come back from a 3-1 series deficit, will now advance to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals this upcoming week.
The Lightning went on to win two straight Stanley Cups. Bruins fans can only hope this team is destined for a similar journey.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been eliminated from the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs with an INSERT ROUND/LOSS to the TEAM X, so it's time for the franchise to…
Bruins Fans Stunned by Wild 3rd Period as Loss to Panthers Forces NHL Playoffs Game 7
Apr 29, 2023
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 28: Teammates congratulate Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers after he scored a second period goal against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the FLA Live Arena on April 28, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
The Boston Bruins' series lead over the Florida Panthers is gone.
The Panthers defeated the Bruins 7-5 at FLA Live Arena to force a Game 7 at Boston's TD Garden in what was a pitiful showing by the Black and Gold, which, for the second straight game, failed to close out the series.
Every time the Bruins scored Friday night, the Panthers had an answer as Boston's defense, particularly the pairing of Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton, was hideous.
Boston, which had a 3-1 series lead, had the opportunity to put the game away multiple times in the third period: first when David Pastrnak gave the team a 4-3 lead at the 3:53 mark and again when Jake DeBrusk gave the team a 5-4 lead on a short-handed goal at the 10:22 mark.
Matthew Tkachuk tied the game 5-5 only 27 seconds later with his second goal of the game, and Eetu Luostarinen put the game away with 5:38 left, giving the Panthers a 6-5 lead before Sam Reinhart put in an empty-netter.
Bruins fans on Twitter erupted after Boston's loss, which was one of the Black and Gold's worst of the season:
The Bruins have only themselves to blame. Tonight’s performance was atrocious.
Arguably the worst Bruins game I’ve ever seen. Absolutely pathetic showing when you should have walked out of there with that win. One loss away from the worst playoff choke in NHL history.
The Panthers have all the momentum in this series after winning the last two games, and the Bruins are going to have to dig deep in Game 7 if they want to avoid one of the biggest choke jobs in NHL history.
Game 7 is slated for Sunday at TD Garden, with the time to be announced.
Lightning Make Championship Experience Count and Spoil Maple Leafs Party
Apr 28, 2023
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 27: Tampa Bay Lightning Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) celebrates the win with Center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (41) and Defenceman Ian Cole (28) after the Round 1 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 5 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs
TORONTO – It wasn't supposed to go this way for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but then again, it never seems to go the way it's intended to.
The Leafs entered Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 3-1 series lead and the opportunity to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2004.
It was a home game, too, with a raucous and excited-to-celebrate crowd on hand. The plaza full of fans outside of Scotiabank Arena was ready to explode in joy.
Leafs fans would give up EVERYTHING to make it out of the first round 😳🤣 https://t.co/w5CW6PuQUE
The only thing standing in the way of a city-wide party was a Lightning team that's been to the Stanley Cup Final three straight years. That fact alone was reason for caution, and sure enough the Lightning took Game 5 4-2 to force a Game 6 in Tampa on Saturday.
As ominous as those facts read, hindsight and history made it seem like it was a foregone conclusion that the Lightning would come away with the win. But after the Maple Leafs had two straight come-from-behind wins in Games 3 and 4 in Tampa, it was starting to feel a bit like destiny.
But championship teams don't go away that easily.
"We still have so far to go, but to come into this environment—and it was a phenomenal environment—and then play the way we did, it's just as I said a couple of days ago, we're going back to the rink and that's exciting for us," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
The jovial atmosphere exploded briefly in the first period when Morgan Rielly gave Toronto a 1-0 lead 5:46 into the first period. The arena was deafening with cheers from the Leafs faithful, but before they were able to announce Rielly's goal, Anthony Cirelli tied it up 26 seconds later.
A road-team goal is always going to suck the air out of the arena. Cirelli's goal at that moment, however, changed the pace of the game. The Leafs were staggered, and the Lightning used that tying goal to turn the game on the home team, maintaining possession in their zone and generating shots. It was the perfect road game performance. What also helps is having a battle-tested, award-winning goaltender show you what he's capable of doing.
Even though Rielly's wicked shot in the first period eluded Andrei Vasilevskiy, he shut things down from that point on until deep into the third period. Vasilevskiy made 28 saves, only letting a late goal to Auston Matthews through after the Leafs pulled Ilya Samsonov for the extra attacker.
Vasilevskiy came up with pucks, read shots like a book he's read 100 times before, and anticipated plays well. He's won a Vezina, a pair of Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe. Taking a win-or-see-you-next-season Game 5 on the road in that kind of atmosphere is just second nature at this point.
"Big-time saves, he just makes them," Lightning forward Nick Paul said. "He's not scared about it, he's not shy. If he needs to do a slick little windmill glove save, he'll do it. He's unbelievable. He's the best goalie in the league and he showed that tonight."
No situation made Paul's opinion correct like Vasilevskiy's blocker save against Mitch Marner on a third-period breakaway with the Lightning holding onto a 2-1 lead. He stood tall and knocked the shot away with the kind of confidence you'd expect from an accomplished netminder, even after he's had his skills questioned during this series.
As fated as the outcome may have seemed, it's not as if it came easily. The Lightning have dealt with injuries to defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak. Forward Tanner Jeannot missed Game 5 and was replaced by Michael Eyssimont. All he did was jump into the action and put up a goal and an assist. When a player goes down, it's down to the next man up to take care of business. Eyssimont did more than just seize the day, he skated away with it.
"It was an extremely big moment, and you can't ask for more than that," Cooper said of the 26-year-old Eyssimont's performance. "In the end, he gave us what we needed, and when you play in these playoff series, you don't go through a playoff series just by the same 20 guys. You need to have depth in an organization, that everybody has to play a part in and everybody that's played games for us in these first five games, they played a big part."
Had the Lightning not blown third-period leads in the past two games, they'd be preparing for the second round and a date with either Boston or Florida. That's not to say the Maple Leafs didn't have a big hand in that. They're a very good team, too, and more than capable of finishing this series off in Game 6.
But it's an elimination game Toronto came up short in yet again, and even now with a 3-2 lead in the series, old memories never go away. It's up to the players to show they're not haunted.
The Leafs' Mitch Marner will have to wait to celebrate a series win after the Lightning's Game 5 win.
Vanquishing a championship-caliber team is never an easy task, even less so when they're defending their conference crown. If nothing else, Game 5 reminded everyone of who they can be again and that one win doesn't change everything.
"We've had this experience, our most recent playoff series, very similar circumstances," Cooper said. "We went into Colorado in an unbelievable environment with the Stanley Cup on the line, not just the first round, and we found a way to win, but we didn't try to win the next one.
"You have to learn from those moments and how to not look at Game 7. Game 7 is irrelevant, Game 6 is all that matters and it's about just winning one game, and shame on us if we think we're going to go home and that's going to be the difference for us. It's urgency and effort. That'll be the difference. We need to bring that to Game 6."
Linus Ullmark Eviscerated By Twitter for Soft OT Winner as Bruins Lose to Panthers
Apr 27, 2023
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 26: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins reacts against the Florida Panthers during the second period in Game Five of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 26, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Florida Panthers live to see another day.
The Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime in Game 5 of their first-round series at TD Garden to force a Game 6.
After a back-and-forth game, Matthew Tkachuk played hero for the Panthers, scoring the game-winning overtime goal off a brutal turnover from Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, who appeared to have some sort of miscommunication with defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.
With an opportunity to clinch an early berth in the second round, this is a loss that will certainly sting for the Black and Gold, which outshot the Panthers 47-25 and dominated the Cats for much of the night.
After the loss, Bruins fans on Twitter ripped Ullmark for his lapse in judgment on what was the final play of the game:
Ullmark has been one of Boston's best players this season and will likely be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender. However, Wednesday's game was his worst of the playoffs, and he needs to be better if the Bruins are going to reach the second round.
Ullmark will likely start Game 6 for Boston on Friday at FLA Live Arena, with Jeremy Swayman remaining as backup.
Jake DeBrusk, Taylor Hall, Bruins Offense Electrify Fans in Game 4 Win over Panthers
Apr 23, 2023
Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) passes the puck as Florida Panthers goaltender Alex Lyon (34) defends during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Friday, April 21, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Today, Boston fans are feeling lucky that Jake DeBrusk is still a Bruin.
DeBrusk, who requested a trade in November 2021, scored two goals on Sunday afternoon to help the Bruins put the Florida Panthers on the brink of elimination with a 6-2 Game 4 win.
The Bruins, still missing their top-two centers, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, now lead the first-round series 3-1.
DeBrusk has five goals and nine points in his last 11 playoff games, and that's something Bruins fans aren't taking for granted—especially as he briefly left for the locker room on Sunday after taking a puck to the head.
Let the “two goals and a puck to the head” forever be known as a DeBrusk Hat Trick
The Panthers dominated early Sunday, putting the Bruins on their heels as they recorded the first 10 shots of the game.
But if you give the 2022-23 Bruins an inch, they'll take a mile, and the Panthers gave several by taking a penalty halfway through the first period. Brad Marchand found a loose puck between Sergei Bobrovsky's legs during a scramble on the ensuing power play and shoved it home to take an early Bruins lead.
That put the Panthers in a dangerous spot. In the regular season, the Bruins were an NHL-best 43-1-3 when scoring first. That's the best record held by any team in that situation since the 1945 Montréal Canadiens, per the TNT broadcast.
DeBrusk helped prove that record's prescience by scoring his first of the night on a power-play goal early in the second period.
Matthew Tkachuk struck back late in the second, but it took the Bruins less than three minutes of the third to regain their two-goal advantage. Tyler Bertuzzi deflected a Brandon Carlo shot past Bobrovsky to make it 3-1.
The goal marked Bertuzzi's fifth point of the series (two goals, three assists) and led Bruins fans to celebrate his acquisition at the trade deadline and consider what Boston might do with his status as a UFA this summer.
The tyler bertuzzi pickup is looking more and more legendary as these playoffs go on. #NHLBruins
I’ll admit it, when the Tyler Bertuzzi trade happened I wasn’t a fan. I was wrong. 100% wrong. I’ll own up to it. Re-sign him, he’s the embodiment of a Bruin.
— Matt Reed (BSKY: @mattreednews.com) (@MattReedNews) April 23, 2023
The Panthers power play converted for the first time in the series as Sam Bennett scored with 14 minutes remaining, but Bruins took advantage of a Panthers turnover minutes later, and DeBrusk's second goal of the night made it 4-2.
Taylor Hall put in the dagger by beating Bobrovsky with a slick breakaway tally, then added an empty-netter to stretch the Boston lead to 6-2.
Hall now has a goal in each of his last three playoff games. That's a relief for Bruins fans who saw his miss over a month late in the regular season because of injury.
Taylor Hall looking fresh is the biggest W of the postseason so far
Boston capped off the win with a late brawl that began with Tkachuk and ended with Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark firing up fans as he attempted to drop the gloves.
Linus Ullmark is who Jordan Binnington thinks that he is
Boston ended the night with a 3-1 series lead despite the team's injury status. Bergeron is "likely" to return for Game 5, said head coach Jim Montgomery on Friday, giving the newly-confident Bruins an even better shot at closing out this series.
Boston will have the chance to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals when the puck drops for Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday at 7 p.m ET.
Bruins Celebrated By NHL Twitter in Win vs. Panthers Without Patrice Bergeron, Krejčí
Apr 22, 2023
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 21: Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (71) celebrates after his goal in the first period during game three of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers on Friday, April 21, 2023 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Who needs centers, anyway?
Despite missing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí, the Boston Bruins downed the Florida Panthers, 4-2, in Game 3 on Friday night. The Bruins now hold a 2-1 lead in the first round series.
Krejčí was on the ice for warmups but was scratched late with an upper body injury. This was first Bruins playoff game in 20 years without either Bergeron or Krejčí, per Sportsnet Stats.
In the absence of their two top centers, the Bruins' depth stepped up. Taylor Hall, Charlie Coyle and David Pastrňák scored. Nick Foligno, a projected scratch before the game, added a tally of his own to make it 4-0 in the third period.
Injuries or not, the bruins are showing us tonight why they were the best team in the season
I’m old enough to remember when people straight up panicked after the Bruins lost their first game in like 9 contests. No Bergeron. No Krejci. On the road. They are still answering.
— Brett 'Don't Call Him' Howie (@bretthoward_) April 22, 2023
Pastrnak, Coyle, Orlov, Hall, Bertuzzi and even Foligno now— when your No. 1 and 2 centers are out, you need your best players and depth players to step up. Bruins look much more like themselves tonight and flexed their depth in the process. Such a cohesive roster. #NHLBruins
Things got tense late in the third, when the Panthers scored twice in one minute and 18 seconds to pull within two goals with four minutes remaining.
The push was too little, too late for Florida. The Bruins made it through a messy last few minutes to claim the victory and help Boston fans recover from the Celtics losing 130-122 to the Atlanta Hawks while the Bruins were playing. Like the Bruins, the Celtics now hold a 2-1 series lead.
One good thing about both Boston playoff teams playing at the same time, as soon as the Celtics lose, I can just focus my attention on the Bruins instead of dwelling on a loss.
Krejčí's status going forward is uncertain, while Bergeron is out for Game 4. The puck drops in Sunrise on Sunday for Game 4 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Bruins' Trent Frederic Says He Couldn't Breathe When Choked by Panthers' Ryan Lomberg
Apr 21, 2023
Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) fights Florida Panthers left wing Ryan Lomberg (94) during the final seconds in Game 2 in the first-round series of the NHL hockey playoffs Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Boston. The Panthers defeated the Bruins 6-3. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
A chaotic end to Game 2 between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers on Wednesday night led to Black and Gold winger Trent Frederic appearing to be choked by Cats forward Ryan Lomberg.
With three seconds remaining in Wednesday's Game 2, a 6-3 win for Florida, Frederic and Lomberg exchanged jabs before the two fell to the ice. While on the ice, Lomberg put his arms around Frederic's neck, seemingly choking the B's winger.
Ahead of Friday's Game 3 at FLA Live Arena, Frederic confirmed to reporters that Lomberg was choking him "a little bit."
"Couldn't breathe. Maybe panicked a little too early," Frederic said. "But it was getting close there where the lights were going to turn off for a second. I've never seen that one."
The Bruins played arguably their worst game of the season on Wednesday. From the forwards down to the goaltending, it was a sloppy performance by the Black and Gold.
After the two teams entered the third period tied 2-2, the Panthers broke open a 4-2 lead in the final frame on goals from Brandon Montour and Carter Verhaeghe. Montour went on to score his second of the game and help the Panthers take a 5-2 lead, and Eetu Luostarinen scored on the empty net to put the game away.
During the final moments of Game 2, the Bruins, frustrated, perhaps wanted to send a message to the Panthers ahead of Game 3 as Frederic, Nick Foligno and Garnet Hathaway all got into scrums.
The Bruins will be without captain Patrice Bergeron again for the third game of their first-round series because of injury, and goaltender Linus Ullmark was listed as a game-time decision. If he's unable to play, Jeremy Swayman would get the nod in goal.
Bergeron, who will also likely miss Game 4 as he did not travel to Florida, is considered "likely" for Game 5.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery made some significant line adjustments during Friday's morning skate, bumping Frederic and Coyle up to the first line, while DeBrusk and Krejci were moved to the third line with Bertuzzi, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.
It also appears Matt Grzelcyk will slot into the lineup on defense, and Connor Clifton will be bumped out.
Game 3 isn't a must-win for Boston, but the Bruins must claim at least one victory in Florida if they want to avoid a must-win scenario when the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5.
NHL-Best Bruins Lambasted by Fans for 'Sloppy' Performance in Game 2 Loss to Panthers
Apr 20, 2023
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS APRIL 19: Sam Bennett #9 of the Florida Panthers reacts to the third period goal against the Boston Bruins in Game Two of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Boston Bruins are going to have to be far better than what they showed on Wednesday night if they hope to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2011.
After claiming a 1-0 series lead at TD Garden on Monday night, the Bruins fell to the Florida Panthers 6-3 in Game 2 on Wednesday, and the first-round matchup between the two Atlantic Division foes will now shift to FLA Live Arena tied 1-1.
The Panthers never trailed in Game 2, with Sam Bennett—playing his first game since March 20—opening the scoring just 1:42 into the second period.
The Bruins tied the game on a shorthanded goal by Brad Marchand at the 12:13 mark of the second period, but Eric Staal restored Florida's lead just over two minutes later.
The Bruins tied the game again in the second period thanks to a goal by Tyler Bertuzzi at the 17:01 mark, but the Panthers put together a dominant third period to close out the game and tie the series.
Brandon Montour scored twice in the final frame, and Carter Verhaeghe also added a goal to put the Panthers up 5-2 in what was an outrageously sloppy and uncharacteristic final 20 minutes by Boston.
No one said it was going to be easy for the Bruins to take down the Panthers, but the Black and Gold are expected to play far better than they did on Wednesday night. The absence of captain Patrice Bergeron because of an injury has been glaring, but that's no excuse for a club that set league records for the most wins and most points in a single season.
Eetu Luostarinen scored on the empty net with just over two minutes remaining in the third period to give the Panthers a 6-2 and put the game firmly out of reach.
Bruins winger Taylor Hall also scored in garbage time to make it 6-3.
After the game, fans and members of the media lambasted the Bruins for a sloppy performance and blowing the opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead on home ice:
If Jim Montgomery wasn’t thrilled with the Bruins’ performance in Game 1, I can’t imagine what he’ll think of Game 2. Just sloppy.
Yes, give the Panthers credit, but the Bruins have quite literally handed them this game. Still time for a comeback, but they've really beaten themselves so far.
Really great game from the Panthers. Strong defensively, opportunistic offensively. Thought the Bruins played this one too cute. Didn’t like their play selection. Seemed to be frustrated at times by how little space there was in the middle, which is also a credit to Panthers D-gm
While there's no need for Bruins fans to panic just yet, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are an entirely different rodeo, and Boston will need to buckle down if it wants to reach the next round.
The Bruins and Panthers will meet in Game 3 on Friday at FLA Live Arena.
