The Florida Panthers secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Friday night, clinching the second-round playoff series in six games. Gustav Forsling emerged as the hero for the Panthers, scoring the tiebreaking goal with just 1:33 left on the clock. The goal came off a rebound, and Sergei Bobrovsky’s stellar performance in goal, stopping 22 shots, played a crucial role in the win.
Anton Lundell also made a significant impact for the Panthers, scoring a goal and setting up the game-winner with a deflected shot that Forsling capitalized on. The victory means the Panthers will now advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where they will face off against the New York Rangers in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Despite a strong effort from the Bruins, with Pavel Zacha scoring to give them a 1-0 lead late in the first period, they were unable to hold off the Panthers. Jeremy Swayman made 26 saves for the Bruins, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
The return of captain Brad Marchand for the Bruins added an emotional element to the game, but he was unable to make a significant impact on the score sheet. The Panthers’ dominance in Boston, winning all three games in the series on the road, sealed their victory and knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs once again.