Why Bruins’ Win Over Panthers Was ‘Special’ To Jeremy Swayman

A few days after a lousy loss and an ugly practice, the Bruins bounced back in a big way.

Boston on Tuesday logged its first two-point night since March 19 with a hard-fought 4-3 win over the Panthers in Florida. Trailing the reigning Eastern Conference champions by one with less than five minutes to play in the third period, the Bruins scored two unanswered goals in a little over two minutes to earn a victory they really needed.

Yes, the win helped keep the B’s in contention for the East’s No. 1 playoff seed. But perhaps more importantly, it strengthened Boston’s psyche with the regular season winding down.

“This was special, a real momentum-builder for us,” starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters, per the team. “It prepares us for what to expect, the next nine games plus the playoffs. That’s a really good team and this gives us a boatload of confidence moving forward in what we need to do to prepare ourselves for the playoffs.”

Swayman wasn’t the only Bruin to highlight the significance of the victory after the game. Captain Brad Marchand called it a “character win” for the Black and Gold, while Jim Montgomery “loved” what he saw from his team in a “playoff atmosphere.”

Boston will play the second game of a Sunshine State back-to-back Wednesday when it visits the Tampa Bay Lightning. NESN’s full coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.