Bruins Postgame: Ullmark Clutch In 3-2 OT Win Over Panthers

The Boston Bruins put a stranglehold on first place in the Atlantic Division with a 3-2 overtime win over the Florida Panthers Saturday afternoon at TD Garden.

Bruins forward Jesper Boqvist stole the puck away from Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and scored 2:05 into the extra frame. The Bruins also got goals from defenseman Charlie MacAvoy and Charlie Coyle.

Matthew Tkachuk and captain Sasha Barkov scored for the Florida Panthers.

Linus Ullmark made 29 saves for the Bruins, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots from the Bruins.

CLUTCH: Let’s get this out of the way now. As I wrote this, my choice for the Bruins’ Game 1 starter in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is the same goalie that started Game 1 for the Bruins in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Linus Ullmark is in the playoff zone more than Swayman right now, and that’s just a fact. He held the fort down by stopping 12 of 13 Panthers shots in the third period and then made two saves in overtime before Boqvist won the game. Ullmark is 5-2-0 since the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline when he nixed a trade that would’ve sent him to a Western Conference team.

Evan Rodrigues shot saved by Linus Ullmark#Panthers 2 #Bruins 2 3rd pic.twitter.com/aFnmBl09WT

— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) April 6, 2024

DOGHOUSE: The Bruins pulled out the win, but if not for the third period, they would’ve done that a bit earlier. The Panthers out-shot 13-3 through the first 16 minutes of the final frame and 13-5 once the final horn expired. If, as mentioned above, Ullmark hadn’t continued his recent brilliance, then the Bruins are two points up in the Atlantic Division rather than five points.

BANGER: Always a thorn in the side of the Bruins and all NHL teams, Sam Bennett was just that in this game, leading all skaters with seven hits.

UNSUNG HERO: After Mattew Tkachuk put the Panthers up just 37 ticks into the game, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored a beautiful goal to tie the game at 5:42 of the first period. After a great pinch by Hampus Lindholm kept the puck in the offensive zone, Pavel Zacha tipped it to Danton Heinen, who found McAvoy in the slot for his 11th goal of the season. McAvoy played 26 minutes and finished the game with a goal, five shots,  and four blocked shots.

Charlie McAvoy ties things up for the Bruins with his career-high 11th goal of the season.

pic.twitter.com/ZWUfzUw7cx

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) April 6, 2024

NEXT UP: The Bruins play another home game as they welcome in the Carolina Hurricanes for a rematch of the Bruins’ 4-1 win in Raleigh on Thursday night.

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Morgan Geekie

Danton Heinen – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak

Jake DeBrusk – Jesper Boqvist – Trent Frederic

James van Riemsdyk – John Beecher – Jakub Lauko

Defensemen

Hampus Lindholm – Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk – Brandon Carlo

Parker Wotherspoon – Andrew Peeke

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman