In any playoff format-particularly the ultra marathon that is better known as the NHL playoffs-when you have the chance to knock out an opponent, you have to do it. Otherwise, you run the risk of an epic choke job like the latest one suffered by your Boston Bruins. The best regular season team in league history was up 3-1 in their first round series vs. Florida and then they proceeded to fall apart rapidly, culminating with tonight's soul-crushing 4-3 overtime defeat in Game 7 at TD Garden. The B's got what they deserved both this evening and in this series as they came out flat yet again and trailed 2-0 in the second period before they finally woke up. Boston admirably rallied to tie it and even go ahead 3-2 in the third period but obviously they allowed the backbreaking tying goal with a minute left in regulation. Center Carter Verhaegae's series-clinching goal at 8:35 in OT felt like a formality as the Panthers dominated the extra session and now they advance to play the Maple Leafs in the second round (who picked that second round matchup?) while the Bruins are left wondering where it all went wrong?
Boston head coach Jim Montgomery made a big change by starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman (27 saves) for the first time in the series and in a vacuum, I would not say that it blew up in his face (because Swayman was OK) but it certainly did not rally the team like I'm sure he hoped that it would. Instead, a group with so much experience and talent seemed to crack under the pressure of such high expectations after a perfect regular season. It is a credit to Florida as well since they were the exact opposite: they never flinched as they won the final three games at the Garden including the last two in overtime. They don't give out MVP awards for a first round playoff series but if they did, UMass alum and Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour would get it as he scored not once but twice in Game 7. He opened the scoring with a power play goal at 12:23 of the first period. Center Anton Lundell and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (33 saves) had the assists on a backhander that Swayman probably should have stopped but it went in for Montour's fourth goal of the series.
Any thoughts of the Bruins coming out strong in the second period were quickly extinguished as center Sam Reinhart took a wide open drop pass in the slot and beat Swayman with a high shot at 1:14 for a stunning 2-0 Florida lead. Defenseman Eetu Luostarinen and Lundell provided the helpers on Reinhart's fourth goal of the playoffs. One of Boston's oldest players was the one to finally stem the tide as center David Krejci one-timed in a power play goal at 7:52 of the second period that cut the Panthers' lead to 2-1. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov and center Pavel Zacha assisted on Krejci's first goal of the series. Boston still trailed though 2-1 entering the third period.
The B's tied it at two 55 seconds into the third as they scored another power play goal. Left wing Tyler Bertuzzi tipped in Orlov's shot for his team-high fifth goal of the series, assisted by Krejci. Boston soon after gained its only lead of the third period when Bobrovsky allowed a juicy rebound that right wing David Pastrnak was able to follow up for his fifth goal of the postseason and a 3-2 advantage for the Black and Gold. Defenseman Brandon Carlo and Krejci had the assists at 4:11 as the Garden went wild. It would have been great to see the B's build on that lead but they seemed to sit back and try to hang on for dear life rather than take the game by the scruff of its neck. Bobrovsky was out for an extra attacker and the puck deflected right to who else but Montour who put it in for the devastating tying goal. Center Aleksander Barkov and Verhaeghe notched the assists on the biggest goal in Montour's life and one of the biggest in Panthers franchise history.
Each team had five shots on goal in overtime but if you watched it, Florida completely dominated zone time and in terms of puck possession. Swayman actually stopped a breakaway by Panthers star left wing Matthew Tkachuk and made a few other quality saves as his petrified teammates mostly stumbled around their defensive zone. After captain and center Patrice Bergeron contemplated retirement for a long time last summer and Krejci returned from the Czech Republic, you have to wonder if they are both done after this latest depressing result. On the one hand, it feels like it would be impossible to go out on this pathetic note after such great Bruins careers but then again, both guys seemed extra emotional leaving the ice after this one. Who knows? It should not have ended like this for the 2022-23 Bruins, they should have done so much more damage in the Stanley Cup playoffs or maybe not since this follows an all too familiar pattern of postseason letdowns for a club that still has only won a single Stanley Cup since 1972 (in 2011).
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