Where Panthers Found Game-Changing Opportunity Vs. Bruins

The Florida Panthers changed the landscape of Game 3 of the second-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins with a significant boost in special teams.

The Panthers tallied four power-play goals against Boston at TD Garden to run away with a 6-2 victory in Game 3 and take a 2-1 series lead. Vladimir Tarasenko, Carter Verhaeghe, Brandon Montour and Evan Rodrigues all scored on the man-advantage against the Bruins.

More specifically, the Panthers surged after Boston’s Mason Lohrei received a double-minor on a high-sticking penalty late in the second period. The Bruins allowed goals on both minor penalties, ensuring the momentum for the Panthers.

“That was a huge opportunity for us,” Florida’s Sam Bennett told reporters at TD Garden, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “We knew it and we capitalized. I think power-play goals in the playoffs can be hard to come by at times. Our power play did a great job of bearing down and getting two very important goals at an important time of the game.”

The Bruins had the seventh-best penalty kill percentage during the regular season with a group that maintained production into the postseason. Improvement from this special teams unit could just be the ultimate key in the Bruins’ chances to even the series on Sunday.