Eetu Luostarinen scored a game winning third period goal with 5:38 left on Friday night, as the Florida Panthers stayed alive once again with a 7-5 victory over the Boston Bruins in game six of an NHL Eastern Conference First Round series played at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The series is now headed for a winner take all game seven on Sunday back in Boston.
An action filled first period saw Florida take a pair of one goal leads. Brandon Montour got the scoring started on the powerplay at 2:01 to make it 1-0 Panthers. Boston tied it when Tyler Bertuzzi shoveled one in from the front of the net for his third of the playoffs also on the powerplay at 6:09. The hosts regained the one goal advantage on a 2 on 1 breakout. Nick Cousins fired a shot in on Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark that was stopped by his pads, but the rebound kicked right to Matthew Tkachuk who slammed it home at 13:52. Both teams had a few more great chances in the remaining six minutes, but Florida took that 2-1 lead to the intermission.
Tkachuk nearly extended the lead to a pair of goals very early in the second period, but shot it wide of the net and Boston would go on a powerplay after Aaron Ekblad was called for hooking at 4:57. David Pastrnak tied it on one of the prettiest goals you’ll ever see. Pastrnak got the puck in close to the right of Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and went between his legs changing from backhand to forehand and went high over the blocker of Bobrovsky to make it 2-2 at the 5:42 mark. With 11:44 left in the period, it looked like the Bruins had taken the lead on a wristshot by Brandon Carlo. But after a review initiated by Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, it was waved off after video evidence showed. a hand pass by Jake Debrusk in the offensive zone before the goal. Florida took the lead back just 1:06 later on a tally by Alexsander Barkov, which is the way it stood after 40 minutes.
A wild and crazy third period saw a total of seven goals before it ended. Bertuzzi tied it for Boston just 1:32 in, and then on the powerplay Pastrnak got his second of the night on a beautiful passing play setup by Bertuzzi and Brad Marchand at 3:53 to make it 4-3 Bruins. Florida came right back 3:28 later, as Zac Dolpe found himself wide open in the low slot ripping one past Ullmark for his first career playoff goal. Debrusk gave his team the lead again shorthanded at 10:22 on a nice hustle play by Pavel Zacha, who was defended by two Panthers defenders near the boards and found a wide open streaking Debrusk down the slot who deeked around Bobrovsky to make it 5-4 B’s. The home team took over from there. Tkachuk tied it getting his own rebound and stuffing it into the net at 10:49 on the powerplay, and then Luostarinen buried the game winner at 14:22. Boston had a few more good looks at tying it late with Ullmark pulled for an extra skater. A one-time shot by Pastrnak got in on Bobrovsky, but the netminder stood tall and also stopped a rebound chance by Patrice Bergeron. On the same play, Sam Reinhart fired the puck off the side wall in an attempt to clear it down but instead the puck found the empty goal on the other end of the ice to cap off the win.
Ullmark made 26 saves in the loss. Marchand led all skaters with four points (four assists). Bertuzzi had two goals and one assist, Pastrnak had two goals, and Charlie McAvoy had two assists. Boston went 3-4 on the powerplay. David Krejci returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with an upper body injury. Bobrovsky stopped 29 shots in the win for Florida, as they advance to a seventh game for the first time in franchise history after trailing a playoff series 3-1. Tkachuk had two goals and one assist, while Luostarinen and Montour both had a goal and an assist. Anton Lundell and Barkov also had two points each (two assists). The Panthers went 2-4 on the powerplay. Game seven at TD Garden is on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Story by Chris Lessner/Highlight video courtesy of the NHL website
