Bruins Break Panthers

     The Florida Panthers played their final road game of the regular season as they were beat by the Boston Bruins 3-2 at TD Garden on Tuesday night. The Panthers, who finished a five-game road trip, moved to 6-4-1 in their last 11 games and now trail the Bruins by six points for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with five games to go.
     It was late in the first period when Boston(39-25-13) scored on a giveaway during a 4-on-4 situation at 16:57. Aleksander Barkov turned the puck over on a back pass in his own right circle. Loui Eriksson controlled it behind the defense, skated in on goal and lifted a backhand shot over Roberto Luongo from the right of the crease for his 20th goal of the campaign.
     In the second period, Florida(35-27-15) struck quickly on their second power play of the game 55 seconds into the frame. Brian Campbell was at the top of the zone and he fed Brandon Pirri for a one-time slapshot from the top right circle that went by the left glove of Tuukka Rask to tie the game 1-1. Pirri, who put in his 21st goal of the season, scored for the eighth time in ten games and 18th time in the last 25 games.
     The Panthers took the lead for the first time at 12:37 of the second. Ryan Spooner drew the puck back on a faceoff in the right circle where Matt Bartkowski fanned on a shot. It led to a 2-on-1 breakaway for the Cats and Brad Boyes finished it with a snap shot from the right circle through the legs of Rask.
     The B's evened it up at 2-2 with 10:13 left in the third period. Milan Lucic backhanded a pass from the left wing behind to Spooner who put it on goal. David Pastrnak deflected it in from the left edge of the crease.
     The game was decided with 1:09 remaining in the third as the Bruins scored the go-ahead goal. Lucic picked up the puck from Pastrnak at center ice, skated into the Panthers zone and fired a wrist shot from the high slot for his 18th goal this season.