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Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Bruins eliminated in Game 6, Panthers advance

By Matt Dolloff
May 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) reacts with Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) after scoring a goal during the second period in game six of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Gustav Forsling scored with just 1:33 left in the third period of Game 6 for the Florida Panthers, who eliminated the Boston Bruins on Friday night at TD Garden. The Panthers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will take on the New York Rangers.

Forsling grabbed the game-winner on a turn-around shot that squeaked through Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, whose outstanding playoff run came to an unfortunate end for Boston.

For much of the first period, the Bruins struggled to generate offensive opportunities. They went 14:42 without a puck on net at one point. Swayman kept the game scoreless with timely saves at the other end.

The teams almost made it through the first period scoreless, but then the Bruins struck first. Capitalizing off a perfectly timed neutral zone pass from Jake DeBrusk to set him up for a breakaway, Pavel Zacha made it in all alone on Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and finished with a slick deke and backhand over his glove-side shoulder to give the B’s a 1-0 lead, which they would take into the first intermission.

  • The Panthers got their feet under them more in the second period, and were able to cash in. Forward Anton Lundell got the equalizer after gathering a loose puck and firing it past Swayman’s glove, making the Bruins pay for their issues clearing it out of their end.

  • Through two periods, the Panthers out-shot the Bruins 21-14, but the B’s held the advantage in 5-on-5 high-danger chances at 9-5. They came up short on a few high-quality looks, including this tip from Charlie McAvoy that went just wide of the net:

  • In a strange moment early in the third period, Swayman reacted to a shot off the post as if the puck went in. It trickled wide and the play continued, but after some confusion for pretty much everyone in the building.

  • Later in the period, the officials stopped play to review for a possible penalty against the Panthers’ Carter Verhaeghe, whose shoulder collided with the head of the Bruins’ Justin Brazeau. They eventually ruled no penalty, likely because they viewed the contact with Brazeau’s head to be incidental.

    With the loss, the Bruins are eliminated from the postseason by the Panthers for the second year in a row.

    Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.

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