There’s an awful lot of hockey left to be played between now and then, as everybody knows (and as last year’s Bruins team will confirm), but Tuesday night’s head-to-head between the Bruins and Panthers down in Sunrise provided fans with what could very well be a preview of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The two budding rivals, who entered action tied in points atop the Atlantic Division, knew as much, too.
So perhaps it was no surprise that the third of four showdowns between these clubs came with an added bit of nastiness in front of the net, and after every single whistle. It’s the kind of game that Jim Montgomery has warned his club will only become the norm as the team inches towards the postseason. And one that the Bruins got increasingly comfortable playing, clearly, as the Bruins pulled off a third-period comeback and downed the Panthers by a 4-3 final at Amerant Bank Arena.
Third Star: Brad Marchand
SUNRISE, FLORIDA – MARCH 26: Niko Mikkola #77 of the Florida Panthers and Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins battle during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena on March 26, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Most nights, you don’t want your captain fighting a guy seven inches taller than him. But given the way the Panthers love to muck it up and how that seems to directly play into their success as one of the most annoying teams in the league, as well as the way that the Bruins have needed more fire in their game of late, you simply had to love Brad Marchand taking matters into his own hands and trying to drop the gloves with the Panthers’ Niko Mikkola.
NOW MARCHAND AND MIKKOLA DROP THE GLOVES 😳 pic.twitter.com/sjKFMCWLem
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 27, 2024This was about as irate as you’ll see Marchand, and it proved to be the exact lift that the Bruins needed in a second period that was shaping up to be a rather ’empty’ one for the B’s.
Following Brad Marchand's fight, Bruins out-hit Panthers 10-5, and outscored them 1-0. Panthers had just one shot on goal over that span (9:17).
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) March 27, 2024
(Bruins *also* had just one shot on goal over that span, but they made theirs count.)In addition to Marchand providing a spark to close out the period, Marchand also came through with an assist on the Trent Frederic goal that knotted things up at 3-3.
Second Star: David Pastrnak
Mar 26, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA;Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88), defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) and center Pavel Zacha (18) celebrate Pasternak’s goal against the Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol/USA TODAY Sports)
Continuing the theme of the Bruins’ best talents leading them in this one, David Pastrnak shined in this game, with a goal and an assist, as well as a plus-3 rating, in just under 23 minutes of time on ice in the victory.
On his goal, Boston’s superstar scorer managed to get in on the forecheck and pressure Niko Mikkola into a rim that was picked off by the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy and ultimately fed to Pastrnak for a strong net-front finish on Sergei Bobrovsky. And on the B’s game-winning goal, Pastrnak whipped a puck towards the Florida net mouth, where it bounced off Pavel Zacha and in for the seventh and final goal of the evening affair in Sunrise.
David Pastrnak ties things up with his 45th goal of the season.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 27, 2024
2-2 game. pic.twitter.com/Fat3MIaIONPastrnak also came through some key defensive plays with Florida’s net empty, from a strong defensive-zone clear to get the puck out of danger for the Bruins, and a last-second pestering that made it impossible for the Panthers to get one last, clean breakout into the Black and Gold’s end.
First Star: Pavel Zacha
Mar 26, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) takes a shot on goal as Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) keeps his eye on the puck in the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol/USA TODAY Sports)
There’s something about these Boston-Florida showdowns that have brought the best out of Pavel Zacha this season.
But Tuesday night may have featured his best performance to date, with Zacha on the board with the game-winning goal, as well as a primary assist in 20:56 of time on ice for the B’s.
David Pastrnak whips the puck to the front of the net and Pavel Zacha deflects it home.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 27, 2024
4-3 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/c6hyfeHQ6rWhat you really liked about Zacha’s game in this one? He went a whopping 11-for-14 at the faceoff dot. That absurd night at the dot also featured a 2-for-2 mark against Aleksander Barkov and a 3-for-3 mark against Sam Reinhart. Zacha also went a perfect 5-for-5 in the attacking zone, and captured wins in three of his four faceoffs in the defensive zone.
Zacha got it done at both ends of the rink.
