Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Bruins doom themselves with turnovers in ugly Game 2 loss to Panthers

By Matt Dolloff
Apr 19, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) scores on Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the third period of game two of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Bruins let Game 2 slip away from them against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night at TD Garden, falling by a 6-3 final to leave their first-round playoff series tied 1-1.

Turnovers and sloppy overall puck management doomed the Bruins in this one. Bruins players were charged with 15 total individual giveaways in this one, and at times they led directly to Panthers goals. Boston took the L despite out-shooting Florida 37-30 on the night, largely due to their own troubling decisions with the puck in its own end and pressure from the Florida forecheck.

The eventual game-winner for the Panthers came off one of those aforementioned turnovers. At the time extending their lead to 4-2, a lackadaisical breakout attempt by Charlie McAvoy ended up on the stick of Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, who fed it to linemate Carter Verhaeghe for the goal.

  • As we rewind, the teams battled to a scoreless draw in a tightly contested grind of a first period. Boston out-shot Florida 12-9, with high-danger chances tied 3-3. The big highlight of the first period was a dazzling sprawling save by Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark to rob the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov on a shorthanded bid.

  • Despite Ullmark’s best efforts, the Panthers still came away with the game’s first goal in the second period. After a failed attempt to clear the zone, Panthers forward Sam Bennett took a feed down in front and whacked a wobbling puck toward Ullmark as he tumbled to the ice. It trickled through the goaltender to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

  • Later in the period, the Bruins and the TD Garden crowd came to life, and in the most unlikely of situations. It came on a penalty kill, in which Charlie Coyle’s board work and Tomas Nosek’s tenacious forechecking had the puck in the Panthers’ end.

    Nosek was able to then find an open Brad Marchand, who ripped a wrist shot by Panthers goaltender Alex Lyon for a shorthanded goal to tie the game 1-1.

  • The joy among the TD Garden crowd would be fleeting. Just 2:05 after Marchand’s goal, veteran Panthers forward Eric Staal beat Ullmark with a shot from the high slot to pick a corner and make it 2-1 Panthers.

  • But it wasn’t long before the second period graduated from “intriguing” to “wildly entertaining.” Finally cashing in on a power play, a shot attempt by Pavel Zacha deflected off the skate of Tyler Bertuzzi and in. Bertuzzi is up to a goal and two assists in the series.

  • Unfortunately for the Bruins, they found themselves behind the 8-ball just 22 seconds into the third. Rotating across the blue line, Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour let it rip and the puck found its way through light traffic and over Ullmark’s shoulder, giving the Panthers a quick 3-2 lead.

  • Taylor Hall scored his first goal of the playoffs with 1:10 left in regulation, but it was too little, too late. This was a bury-the-puck kind of night for the B’s, who were again without captain Patrice Bergeron. It’s fair to say that the B’s will want to get Bergeron back in the lineup for Game 3.

    Up Next: The Bruins will regroup and head out to Sunrise, Fla. for a Game 3 showdown with the Panthers at FLA Live Arena on Friday night.

    Click here for complete Boston Bruins coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

    Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

NEXT: Brad Marchand Loved Tyler Bertuzzi’s Antics With The Stick

Get The 98.5 The Sports Hub Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date with the latest Boston sports news and analysis, local events, exclusive contests, and more.

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Tags
,,,,