The Florida Panthers overcame a two-goal deficit, scoring twice within three minutes in the third period to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 and take a 3-1 lead in their second-round matchup of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bruins jumped out to an early lead on a power-play goal from David Pastrnak. It was his 15th career power-play goal in the postseason, and he moved within one of Johnny Bucyk (16) for the fifth-most in Bruins history.
Brandon Carlo gave the Bruins a two-goal lead when he picked up a loose puck at his own blue line and wristed a shot past the Panthers’ goaltender Sergei Brobrovsky.
The Panthers cut the lead to one when Anton Lundell scored a little over five minutes into the second period.
The game was tied going into the third until Sam Bennett poked a loose puck past Jeremy Swayman in what may end up being one of the more talked-about plays of the series, if not all, of the second round. Before the goal, Bennett pushed Charlie McAvoy into Swayman before finding the puck at his feet and poking into the net.
The Bruins challenged the play, but the goal was still allowed. The NHL released a statement from their situation room that “the video review supported the Referees’ call on the ice that the shove by Florida’s Sam Bennett on Charlie Coyle and the subsequent contact with Jeremy Swayman did not prevent Swayman from playing his position in the crease prior to Bennett’s goal.”
Aleksandar Barkov gave the Panthers the lead less than three minutes later, which turned out to be the game-winner.
The one-goal margin of victory continues a trend in this year’s playoffs. Nearly 90% of all games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been decided by a one-goal margin or two-plus, including at least one empty-netter (50 of 56 games; 89.3%), marking the highest rate at this stage of a postseason in NHL history. The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs rank second (48 of 54 games; 85.7%).
Marchand Out for Game 4
Brad Marchand did not play in Game 4 because of an upper-body injury. The Bruins captain was slow to get back to the bench after he took a hit from Panthers’ Bennett at 3:38 of the first period in a 6-2 Game 3 Loss on Friday. He played the rest of the first and second periods but did not return for the third.
Marchand did not practice Saturday and was listed as day-to-day. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery would not confirm or deny Sunday whether Marchand sustained a concussion.
The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, May 14, with the Panthers having a chance to close out the series.
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