In Sunrise, the Panthers chased the Bruins for a full 60 minutes if regulation on Saturday.
The final chase of the night came with three seconds left in regulation when Aleksander Barkov hit for the game-tying goal, 3-3, and force extra time.
Sam Reinhart gave the Boston Bruins no opportunity to get out in front when he scored the game-winner with 17 seconds gone on the extra session, for a 4-3 win to the Panthers over Boston.
“I think [we] were due for a game like this and were due a result like this all season. They just haven’t quit,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “It was the hardest part of the season, and they kept getting kicked in the teeth and wouldn’t quit. You want it for them so bad. We deserved that a bunch of nights this season and just didn’t get it.”
Alex Lyon made 38 saves in the Florida win.
“That was a massive challenge, but we know what we have, and that is a phenomenal hockey team,” said Lyon. “The last game before [the All-Star] break is always tough, a back-to-back, but the guys kept going. This is why you play the game right there.”
The Panthers improved to 24-22-6.
The Bruins took a 3-2 lead in the third period on a marker form David Pastrnak.
The Bruins took three, one-goal leads in the game.
“For me, it’s the last two games we’ve gotten outworked,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said regarding the power play. “People are stacking the line against us and … we weren’t willing to put it in behind [them] and go to work and use our feet to go get it behind them.”
Craig Smith started it with a strike in the first period for a 1-0 advantage to Boston.
Florida’s Brandon Montour tied in the middle frame, 1-1.
Boston dropped to 38-6-5, the Bruins went 1-1-1 on a three-game roadie.
The Bruins reclaimed the lad, 2-1, in the second period on a goal from Charlie Coyle, but the Panthers’ Sam Bennett tied in the third, 2-2.
“I think that’s a very important game for us, to show the confidence in this group,” Bennett said. “That was a massive win against a very good team. The boys are definitely happy with that one. I would have had some nightmares if we didn’t get the win tonight. It was nice we got the win.”
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Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves in the Bruins loss.
“We got a point, so that’s important,” Swayman said. “However, I want to be able to close out games in the last final seconds. So not satisfied and we’ll definitely make sure we’re taking the positives out of this one and move forward.”
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