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Bruins Snap Five-Game Skid, Beat Panthers 4-2

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David Pastrnak scored two goals, including the game-winner on the power play 7:30 into the second period, and the Bruins snapped their five-game winless streak with a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers Saturday night.

The Bruins came flying out of the gate, out-shooting the Panthers 22-11 in the opening frame and unlike in their last four games, they bent but didn’t break. They ended up outshooting the Panthers 42-33 in the game.

Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci had a goal and an assist each; Brad Marchand and Torey Krug each had two assists, and Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron each had a helper.

For the Panthers, defenseman Keith Yandle had a goal and an assist, Mark Pysyk had a goal and Aaron Ekblad had two assists in the loss.

Bruins goalie Jaro Halak snapped his own two-game losing streak with 31 saves and for the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 38 of 41 Bruins shots he faced.

The Bruins finished their four-game road trip at 1-3-0 and will return home for a four-home stand before the holiday break that kicks off Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

After peppering Bobrovsky the entire first period, the dam finally broke for the Bruins when Krejci seemingly in the corner of his eye, caught the Panthers starting a line change. He backhanded it up to defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who quickly found DeBrusk flying the zone. DeBrusk took the pass and tipped it through Panthers defensemen Mark Pysyk and Anton Stralman and deked out Bobrovsky.

The Bruins failed to score on two powerplays in the period, but not for lack of effort and generating chances. Thanks to Bobrovsky though, the Bruins only led 1-0 after one. The Panthers goalie had clearly done all he could to save his flat teammates and hold up a Bruins team that was clearly on a mission after going winless in five games and the Bruins came out in the second again, smelling blood in the water.

Krejci made it 2-0 Bruins at 3:14 when DeBrusk returned the favor and found Krejci for his 7th goal of the season. Krug had the secondary assist. Then 4:26 later, with the Bruins on their third powerplay, the NHL’s leading goal scorer scored his 27th lamplighter of the season and his second goal in his last three games. Brad Marchand and Krug got the helpers and the Bruins were seemingly taking command up 3-0.

The Panthers appeared to wake up though a few minutes later and Halak had to make some big and timely saves, including two huge ones on a Panthers powerplay late in the middle frame. That momentum from the Panthers carried over into the third period and Pysk redeemed himself from the DeBrusk goal and beat Halak 2:46 into the period. Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle had the helpers.

With the Bruins on their heels all of a sudden, they caught a break as Pastrnak intercepted a clearing pass and broke in alone on Bobrovsky. As Pastrnak made his move on the Panthers goalie, he was hooked enough from Yandle that a penalty shot was called at 6:29 of the final frame. Pastrnak took the lull you to sleep approach on the penalty shot and Bobrovsky stoned him. That clearly stole the momentum and just under three minutes later, Yandle ripped one from the point, off the pipe and in behind Halak to cut the Bruins’ lead to 3-2.

Pastrnak would end up getting his 28th of the season with 2:10 left in regulation when he gave the Bruins some insurance with an empty-netter. Marchand got his second assist of the game and Patrice Bergeron had the other helper.

Things got hairy again for the Bruins though as McAvoy was called for interference at 18:37 when he got caught up with Aleksander Barkov. Barkov left the game limping. With Bobrovsky still pulled, the Panthers couldn’t muster any quality chances and the Bruins held on for the win.

 

 

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