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In what was one of the vital thrilling first rounds within the historical past of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Florida Panthers upset the NHL’s greatest common season workforce ever, the Boston Bruins, as Carter Verhaeghe potted the Sport 7 additional time aim to win the collection, 4-3.
It was a battle behind the web of Jeremy Swayman, who acquired his first begin of the collection after Linus Ullmark was shaky within the first six video games within the eyes of head coach Jim Montgomery.
After the puck discovered the stick of Sam Bennett, he dropped it off to Verhaeghe, who went excessive underneath the bar and simply over Swayman’s shoulder for the game-winner.
TD Backyard and Bruins fans in a single phrase? Shocked.
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Sam Bennett #9 of the Florida Panthers takes a shot towards Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins throughout the second interval in Sport Seven of the First Spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Backyard on April 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos)
And it wasn’t simply as a result of Verhaeghe aim.
Because the Panthers have proven all through this primary spherical, they are going to by no means say die, which proved true as soon as once more after they had been down 3-2 with underneath 90 seconds to play within the decisive recreation.
With one minute left to go, Brandon Montour noticed the puck shift to him after it hit Patrice Bergeron with an empty web for the Panthers on the opposite finish. He dropped his stick on the ice, flung the puck towards the web and acquired simply the fitting bounce off a stick because it went slightly below Swayman’s pads and into the again of the web.
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The Panthers freaked out on ice and on the bench, whereas the house crowd couldn’t consider what they only watched. A couple of moments later, additional time was pressured and the Panthers as soon as once more didn’t permit the Bruins, who set a brand new NHL report throughout the common season with 65 wins, to maneuver on.
Florida was down 3-1 on this collection after dropping each of their dwelling ice tilts in Video games 3 and 4. However they received in additional time in Sport 5, held off the Bruins’ cost with an offensive onslaught in Sport 6, after which accomplished the last word comeback with the victory on the highway.
David Krejci #46 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with Charlie McAvoy #73, Dmitry Orlov #81 and Pavel Zacha #18 after scoring a aim towards the Florida Panthers throughout the second interval in Sport Seven of the First Spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Backyard on April 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos)
They may now head to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs, who made it out of the primary spherical for the primary time in 19 years after finishing their collection with the Tampa Bay Lightning in six video games.
Montour acquired the Panthers on the board first on this recreation, and that was enormous contemplating the workforce that scored first in each recreation this collection received. He rushed into the offensive zone as an influence play was winding down for Florida and slapped a backhand towards the web.
Fortunately for the Panthers, the backhand went straight by means of Jeremy Swayman’s 5 gap to make it 1-0.
Early within the second interval, extra mishaps within the Bruins’ defensive zone as they tried to interrupt out the puck labored out in Florida’s favor as Eetu Luostarinen acquired the turnover on the blue line, handed it to Anton Lundell, who dropped it off for Sam Reinhart, and he went bar down over Swayman’s glove hand to make it a 2-0 recreation.
There have been anxious groans and even some boos from the TD Backyard crowd, however a tripping name modified all the pieces for the Bruins on this one.
Three unanswered Bruins objectives ensued from there, which began when David Krejci notched his first one of many collection after smashing a one-timer previous Sergei Bobrovsky to chop the lead in half at 2-1.
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Then, momentum swung in favor of the house workforce as soon as extra to begin the third interval, as an influence play that carried over from the top of the second interval led to Tyler Bertuzzi’s tip-in aim at web entrance to make it a 2-2 recreation slightly below one minute in.
Moments later, defenseman Brandon Carlo took a protracted go from Krejci and bombed a slap shot at Bobrovsky. Whereas he made the preliminary save, it was an ideal rebound to the Bruins’ trusty goalscorer this season: David Pastrnak.
He wasted no time slapping the puck previous Bobrovsky and TD Backyard lit up like a Christmas tree because the Bruins took the lead.
Brandon Montour #62 of the Florida Panthers celebrates with Aleksander Barkov #16, Carter Verhaeghe #23, Sam Reinhart #13, and Sam Bennett #9 after scoring a aim towards the Boston Bruins throughout the third interval in Sport Seven of the First Spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Backyard on April 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos)
However, as historical past reveals us, 88% of the time the workforce coming into interval 3 within the lead wins Sport 7 and the Panthers saved that streak alive, though they wanted additional time.
Because the Bruins had been surprised on dwelling ice, the President’s Trophy curse, which the Panthers skilled final season as the perfect common season workforce that fell within the first spherical, lives on.
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However, the Panthers, the No. 8 and closing seed within the Japanese Convention because the second wild card workforce, is red-hot as they head to Toronto.
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