Panthers at Bruins

A second-round playoff preview or just a late-season game that needs some measure of productivity without injury?

At 3-6-1 in their last 10 with five games remaining including this one, the Florida Panthers are four points behind the Bruins are just out of rope. They’re playing better, slaughtered Ottawa in the Tkachuk brothers’ matchup, but a rough stretch timed out with the Boston Bruins’ resurgence – should we just call it what it is, a recommitment to the desperate game that makes them more than the sum of their parts? – has the Bruins on the precipice of a virtual division clincher.

Matthew Tkachuk reminded Boston fans of his incredible knack for making the most of a quirky opportunity, converting a bad bounce off the stanchion and putting Florida up in the opening minute of play.

Charlie McAvoy tied it for Boston at 5:42, so we stand 1-1 after one. The Bruins were comfortably outshooting the Panthers until Pavel Zacha’s slashing penalty late in the period accounted for the 9-7 shots advantage the Bruins took into the first intermission.

A-I image by Daryl Vautour

SECOND PERIOD

Bruins still have 21 seconds to kill on Zacha’s slash.

Peeke to the box for delay (over the glass). So with four seconds on Zacha, Panthers’ PP continues.

The Panthers are getting physical, the Bruins are retaliating. This time Peeke takes Tkachuk with him to the box at 4:40, and its 4v4.

McAvoy springs David Pastrnak into a 1-on-1 against Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Pasta’s spin move creates space for formidable attempt that Bobrovsky stops.

Partial for Alexander Barkov, save Linus Ullmark. Tkachuk has a rebound in tight but can’t do much with it.

Words between Jakub Lauko and Ryan Lonberg on their way back to their benches (94s are wild).

Parker Wotherspoon worked over Barkov behind the Boston net, you and everyone else (except Parker) knew how that was going to go: Wotherspoon to the box, Florida to the powerplay.

That said, nice to see a Bruin pushing instead of just pushing back.

Marchand with a break that Brandon Montour pokes to the corner, but Marchand follows up with a hit on Sam Bennett and a stick on Montour, who lets the referee know he got clipped.

This time, Tkachuk runs Wotherspoon into the end boards. Wotherspoon never had the puck and probably helped the hit. It turns into a scrum that only results in Tkachuk’s interference penalty at 14:08. Tkachuk complains to his striped escort and the TD Garden crowd lustily boos the son of a hometown hockey legend.

Bruins to the powerplay with 5:42 left in the second period …

Struggling on the PP, Marchand makes a nice relay that finds Pastrnak in the circle. Ekman-Larsson tips the one-timer over the glass.

Centering pass to two sticks. Coyle is first in line and deflects it past Bobrovsky and the Bruins lead 2-1 with 4:15 left in the second.

McAvoy springs Pastrnak, who tries to beat Bob with a softy 5-hole, but Bob gets it. Then Wotherspoon has Pasta open for a tip at the right post, but it slides wide of the net.

Shots after two: 21-16 Bruins

THIRD PERIOD

Florida zone pressure sustained.

Nick Cousins gets under Bruins’ skins, but it’s Anton Lundell whose gets McAvoy off the ice for embellishment while taking a minor himself. So 4v4 in front of the goalies.

Barkov buries a rebound to tie the game at 5:24.

Ullmark had just stopped Forsling and on this one stopped Reinhart.

Jonah Gadjovich gets his stick up on Brandon Carlo and goes to the box with 9:37 remaining in regulation.

Bruins to the powerplay …

Couple of bad turnovers by the Bruins. Trent Frederic too flimsy moving the puck forward through the neutral zone, then Matt Grzelcyk picked off, the second of these giving the Panthers an odd man that Evan Rodriguez trails and has in the slot – save Ullmark.

Pastrnak skates right over Cousins’ stick, Cousins holds his position and Pastrnak goes down. TD Garden cheers wildly, assuming a powerplay, but no call forthcoming. What Rink Rap wants to know is how, if that is not a trip, if a fine is forthcoming to Pasta for embellishment.

Timeout to fix the stanchion that got the primary assist on Tkachuk’s early goal.

2:27 remaining in regulation.

Rodriguez down the right, tripped by Heinen, no call. Gotta be the makeup for the trip on Pastrnak.

Moments earlier, the Panthers were banging sticks on the boards for a crosschecking call on McAvoy, who roughed by Barkov.

Marchand alone, doesn’t have room to stuff it.

McAvoy off-side left point blocked by Barkov, who bodies McAvoy and achieves a safe outlet.

Shots after regulation: 30-26 Florida.

OVERTIME

Boqvist with the decisive pickoff, and his speed keeps his lane clear. Bruins win 3-2 in overtime. Time of the goal 2:05.

Atlantic Division virtually in Boston’s pocket, which almost clinches an opening-round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.