Panthers Bounce Bruins

     The Florida Panthers returned home and defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2 at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday night. Florida wore their retro reverse jerseys at home for the second time during the 2022-23 season. 

     The Bruins, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped, entered the contest with the best record in the National Hockey League. They hope to win their 12th straight home game to begin an NHL season on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes and break the all-time record set by the Panthers last season. 

     The Panthers will play at home on Saturday versus the St. Louis Blues. The Cats then begin a five-game road trip to western Canada and Seattle. 

     Florida(10-8-2) pulled out to a 1-0 lead on the power play at the 1:49 mark. Aleksander Barkov pushed the puck ahead from the high slot area. Matthew Tkachuk took a shot from the crease and Jeremy Swayman saved it. Sam Reinhart came charging in a poked it in from the blue paint for his sixth goal of the year. 

     Boston(17-3-0) tied it up 1-1 on a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 2:46 remaining. David Krejci touched the puck in the right corner and Jake DeBrusk put it toward the middle of the ice. Charlie McAvoy delivered a slap shot from the high slot past Spencer Knight for his second goal of the campaign. 

     In the second period, the Panthers regained the lead 2-1 at 4:41. Sam Reinhart stole the puck from Jacub Zboril on the end wall. Nick Cousins sent a cross-ice pass from the right circle and Anton Lundell snapped a shot from the slot area for his second goal this year. 

     The Cats made it a two-goal margin 3-1 on the power play with 4:29 to go in the second. Brandon Montour released a wrist shot from the top of the zone and Barkov redirected it from the low slot for his fifth goal this season. Aaron Ekblad was credited with the secondary assist on the play. 

     It became 4-1 for Florida with 13.7 seconds left as they scored for the third time with the man advantage. Ekblad pushed the puck from the left point to Barkov on the left wing. His snap shot with deflected in by Tkachuk from the left side of the crease for ninth goal of the season. 

     The Bruins converted on a 5-on-3 power play at the 6:20 mark and they trailed 4-2. Brad Marchand fed the puck from the right circle and David Pastrnak fired a one-time slap shot from the high shot for his 13th goal this season. 

     The B's pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with under three minutes to go. Ekblad shot the puck into an empty net from his own blue line with 2:10 remaining in the third for his 100th NHL goal