Want the good news or the bad news first? You know what, I don’t know how to format a choose-your-own-adventure post, so let’s start with the good news. That, of course, being that it’s the night before Thanksgiving and the Bruins were just now hit with their third loss of the season. Now, the bad news is basically the same, because it came Wednesday night in Sunrise, and put an end to the Bruins’ seven-game win streak.

I mean, who wouldn’t have loved the Bruins riding into a Black Friday showdown with the team that knocked ’em out of last year’s playoffs on the high of an eight-game heater?

On the kill a staggering seven times in a frustrating affair, the Bruins surrendered a season-high three power-play goals, and it was really the third and final power-play goal allowed that served as the true backbreaker for the Bruins, as it put them in a three-goal hole through 40 minutes of action.

Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) 3 Stars of the game from the 5-2 final in Sunrise…

No. 3 Star: Charlie McAvoy

Nov 23, 2022; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) celebrates after scoring during the first period against the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena. (Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports)

Not a ton to love from the Bruins in this game — or with much to show for it, at the very least — but the play of Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was certainly notable.

In addition to the power-play goal that got things going for the Bruins, McAvoy finished Wednesday’s contest with 23:53 (second to only Hampus Lindholm’s 24:16), and chipped in with three shots and a takeaway. The Bruins also outshot the Panthers by a 12-8 mark during McAvoy’s 13:36 of even-strength action (the Bruins outshot Florida 17-12 in 27:25 of even-strength action without McAvoy on the ice).

McAvoy also took more than a couple lumps in this contest. In fact, he had injury scares in all three periods of play, including a nasty-looking gash from a high stick in the third period of play.

No. 2 Star: Matthew Tkachuk

Nov 23, 2022; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates a goal by center Aleksander Barkov (not pictured) during the second period against the Boston Bruins at FLA Live Arena. (Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports)

The Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk did not finish the night as Florida’s top scorer (Aaron Ekblad led the way with three points), but Tkachuk’s impact on this game was a killer for the Bruins.

The Flame-turned-Panther came through with the primary assist on Sam Reinhart’s goal 1:48 into the first period of play, and Tkachuk beat Jeremy Swayman with a net-front redirect with just 14 seconds remaining in the second period. The first goal he factored in on put the Bruins in an early hole, and the goal he scored dug the Black and Gold into too deep of a hole for the team to successfully rally their way out of in the third period.

That’s making the most of your points.

And Tkachuk has certainly emerged as a B’s killer of sorts, as he’s now up to five goals and 13 points in 12 career games against the Bruins between the Flames and Panthers.

No. 1 Star: Spencer Knight

SUNRISE, FL – NOVEMBER 23: Goaltender Spencer Knight #30 of the Florida Panthers stops a shot by Charlie Coyle #13 of the Boston Bruins during second period action at the FLA Live Arena on November 23, 2022. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

The Black and Gold’s penalty problems were certainly the biggest reason this game went sideways for Jim Montgomery’s squad. But there’s a decent chance that the Bruins overcome ’em if not for the performance of Panthers netminder Spencer Knight.

Tagged with 19 shots in the opening 20 minutes of action, the Connecticut-born Knight surrendered just one goal, and it was on an unstoppable 5-on-3 bomb from the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy. Knight then turned aside all 11 second-period shots from the Bruins, and wasn’t beat again until the Bruins found themselves on another 5-on-3. And when your only blemishes come with your team down two skaters, you’ve done your part.

All in all, it was a 37-of-39 performance from Knight. That performance also made Knight the first goaltender to defeat the Bruins in a game that featured at least 35 shots from the Bruins this season, as the Bruins entered Wednesday’s game with an 8-0-0 record when landing at least 35 shots on goal.