Panthers stage comeback, defeat Bruins 3-2 to lead East semifinal series 3-1
- Florida Panthers rallied from a 2-goal deficit to beat Boston Bruins 3-2 in the East semifinal series.
- Aleksander Barkov scored the go-ahead goal slipping past three Bruins defenders.
- Sergei Bobrovsky's 16 saves secured the Panthers' 3-1 lead in the series.
The Florida Panthers won against the Boston Bruins with a score of 3-2. This victory gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Aleksander Barkov scored the go-ahead goal, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves. The Panthers are now close to advancing to the Eastern Conference finals. One year ago, the Panthers eliminated the Bruins in the playoffs. This time, without their captain Brad Marchand, the Bruins took a 2-0 lead with goals from David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo. However, the Panthers fought back and tied the game 2-2. Sam Bennett, who had a controversial hit on Marchand in the previous game, scored a disputed goal that was upheld after a challenge by the Bruins. This tied the game, and Barkov later scored the game-winner for the Panthers. Boston now needs to win three straight games to stay in the playoffs. They are facing a tough challenge as they have to win two games on the road. Pastrnak, who had a great season with 47 goals, struggled to score in the playoffs. The Panthers outshot the Bruins and capitalized on their chances to secure the win. The Bruins must regroup and win the next games to stay alive in the playoffs.