Bruins Stop Panthers

     The Boston Bruins topped by the Florida Panthers 4-2 at BB&T Center on Saturday night. The Panthers have lost three straight games and are 3-4-0 on their franchise record nine-game home stand. The Bruins are currently first in the Atlantic Division.
     Boston(21-7-6) got out to a 1-0 lead with 5:19 left in the first period. Charlie McAvoy forwarded the puck in the neutral zone to Jake DeBrusk. He flipped it over the stick of Anton Stralman at the blue line and put in forehand shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky.
     In the second period, the B's increased their lead to 2-0 at the 3:14 mark. Torey Krug picked the puck up on the right-wing boards and handed it to DeBrusk. He centered it and David Krejci one-timed a slap shot from the high slot that trickled into the Panthers cage.
     The Bruins added a power-play goal for a three-goal margin at 7:30. Krug angled a pass from the top of the zone to Brad Marchand at the top left circle. His diagonal pass was redirected in by David Pastrnak from the right edge of the blue paint for his NHL-leading 27th goal of the season.
     Florida(15-12-5) closed it to 3-1 at 2:47 of the third period. Keith Yandle guided a cross-ice pass to Aaron Ekblad in the high slot and he placed a snap shot on net. Tuukka Rask made the initial save, however Mark Pysyk backhanded the puck in from the top of the crease for his second goal of the year.
     The Panthers made it 4-2 at the 9:13 mark. Ekblad took a shot from the top right circle that went high. Vincent Trocheck passed it from the left corner and Yandle cranked a one-time slap shot from the left point.
     The Cats pulled their goalie for an attacker with 2:16 to go. Patrice Bergeron won a faceoff draw in his own left circle, Marchand sent an outlet pass up the middle and Pastrnak put in a wrist shot from the red line into an empty-net for his second goal of the contest.