For the second straight game, the Boston Bruins skated off the ice with a legit gripe about the officiating but also another loss.
The Florida Panthers beat the Bruins for a third straight game, this time with a 3-2 win that gave them a commanding 3-1 series lead in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. The series now heads back to Florida, where the Panthers can send the Bruins into their offseason with a win in Game 5.
Things started off great for the Boston Bruins who took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission on goals by David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo. However, as they did in the previous two games, the Bruins missed plenty of Grade A chances to put the Panthers away and saw their lead trimmed to 2-1 on a late second-period goal by Panthers forward Anton Lundell. The you-know-what hit the fan in the third period as the Panthers tied it on a controversial goal by Public Enemy No. 1, Sam Bennett, 3:41 into the third period and then took the lead on a Sasha Barkov tally 7:31 into the final frame.
CLUTCH: Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell was a force from his first to last shift in this game. Lundell cut the Bruins’ lead to 2-1 at 14:48 of the second period and then assisted on Sam Bennett’s game-tying goal early in the third period. Lundell finished the game with a goal and an assist, three shots, and two hits and went 5-3 at the faceoff dot.
DOGHOUSE: As I’ve stated before, I hate complaining about officiating, but the Bruins do seem to be getting the butt end (pun intended) of officiating over the last two games. First, the referees and then the NHL Department of Player Safety dropped the ball on Panthers center Sam Bennett’s sucker punch that seemingly concussed Bruins captain Brad Marchand in the first period of Game 3. If Bennett got what he deserved, not only would he have been sent to the penalty box in Game 3 but also suspended for Game 4.
Instead, the Panthers’ chief agitator was in the lineup for Game 4 and then scored the game-tying goal into the third period on a play that should’ve seen the goal called back for goalie interference, and Bennett sent to the penalty box for cross-checking Bruins forward Charlie Coyle into goalie Jeremy Swayman.
While the Bruins still could’ve had the lead there if they had buried some Grade A chances in the second period, they definitely have a legit gripe. Here’s the rule that shows why:
BANGER: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad led all skaters with seven hits.
UNSUNG HERO: He may have been on the losing team, but Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman was his team’s MVP again and gave them a chance to win, as he has in every start he’s made in the playoffs. Swayman turned away 39 of the Panthers’ 42 shots and was even willing to fight Panthers’ pest, Matthew Tkachuk. If, and should, Swayman starts Game 5, the Bruins need to give him more goal support once and for all.
Series Schedule:
Game 1: Bruins 5 Panthers 1
Game 2: Panthers 6 Bruins 1
Game 3: Panthers 6 Bruins 2
Game 4: Panthers 3 Bruins 2
Game 5: Bruins at Panthers — May 14, TBD
+ Game 6: Panthers at Bruins — May 17, TBD
+ Game 7: Bruins at Panthers — May 19, TBD
Boston Bruins Lineup
Forwards
Danton Heinen – Charlie Coyle – Trent Frederic
Jake DeBrusk – Morgan Geekie – David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk – Pavel Zacha – Justin Brazeau
Jakub Lauko – John Beecher – Pat Maroon
Defensemen
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon – Andrew Peeke
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
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