Jesper Boqvist scored early in overtime, Linus Ullmark made 28 saves, and the Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday in a clash between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division.
With this win, Boston extended their lead over Florida to five points, with both teams having four games remaining in the regular season, all of which will be played by the Panthers at home.
Boston’s center, Charlie Coyle, expressed the significance of the victory, describing it as another crucial game resembling playoff intensity against a formidable opponent. The Bruins’ victory streak is attributed partly to Coach Jim Montgomery’s frank critique of the team’s performance during a practice session on March 25.
The Bruins’ goals were scored by Charlie McAvoy and Coyle, while Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov netted for the Panthers, who suffered their fifth loss in seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for Florida.
Boqvist’s overtime goal came from a partial breakaway down the left wing, securing the win for Boston in the extra period. Despite the Panthers’ efforts to push back in the third period, they fell short. However, coach Paul Maurice acknowledged his team’s improved effort during the game.
Boston’s Coyle scored a power-play goal in the second period, ending the team’s power-play drought, while Tkachuk opened the scoring for Florida just 37 seconds into the game after a fortunate bounce off the back glass.
Ullmark’s stellar performance, marked by crucial saves, was praised by Coach Montgomery, highlighting his consistency in recent games.
