In Boston, the Bruins built a 4-0 lead on the Florida Panthers on Monday night into the second period before the Panthers replied with three goals to cut the gap to 4-3.
Boston shook off the surge and scored the final three goals of the game in a 7-3 win.
“Our depth wore on them,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “We kept playing four lines, you know, with 5-on-5 play the majority of the time, especially the first 30 minutes, it allowed us to get ahead.”
David Krejci blunted the Florida rally in the middle frame when he scored to push the Bruins back into a two-goal lead at 5-3.
“I heard post, and just came back to my side,” Krejci said. “I figured it wasn’t in, so I just put it in. It’s one of those [being] at the right place at the right time.”
Patrice Bergeron hit for a double in the third period for the 7-3 final.
“It’s going to happen,” said Bergeron. “I think we need to realize what makes you kind of fall back like that and give up the goals, or the odd-man rushes or the situation. I think, to me, it’s always been simplifying, and when you make the hard play instead of making the simple play or the easy play, I think that’s when you kind of get caught.”
Linus Ullmark made 36 saves in the Boston win.
The Bruins improved to 25-4-2, and now have an active 19-game home point streak.
The Bruins had the 4-0 lead in the second period when the Panthers replied with goals from Sam Reinhart, Eric Staal, and Carter Verhaeghe to trim the deficit to 4-3.
“We give them chances, they’re going to score,” Verhaeghe said. “They’re a really skilled team, and we give up what we gave up, they’re going to make plays and score goals. So, I think we need to tighten it up a little bit.”
Florida dropped to 15-14-4.
“I don’t think our game was a whole lot different until it got to about 6-3,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “I think we had things that we’d like to do better with the pucks in the transition game. That kind of bit us in the butt, but we put up 39 [shots]. We had enough to score; we gave up more than we could tonight to have a chance to win.”
Boston scored three times in the first period.
Connor Clifton opened the scoring for a 1-0 lead to the Bruins in the first
Brandon Carlo pushed it to 2-0, and Charlie Coyle hit off the power play for a 3- lead headed to the second period.
“I think everyone in our room recognizes that we’re probably not great 200 feet for 60 minutes,” Montgomery said. “But it seems like we go in spurts and we pull away. It’s not ideal, but you have to be somewhat, I guess, realistic, that you’re going to go through moments like this. And if we can learn as we win, it’s better than learning as you lose, but then the losses will come and then we’ll learn better.”
In the middle frame, David Pastrnak scored to advance the lead to 4-0.
Spencer Knight made 19 saves in the Panthers loss.
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