Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
After setting NHL records with 65 wins and 135 standings points during the 2022-23 regular season, the Boston Bruins were eliminated in Game 7 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series by the Florida Panthers, last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners. Boston led 3-1 in the series heading into Game 5 at home before allowing 15 goals in the last three games.
IT’S OVER! FLORIDA COMES ALL THE WAY BACK FROM A 3-1 SERIES DEFICIT! 😱 #Game7
They’ve taken down the Presidents’ Trophy winners‼️ #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Ex1r07SR6P
— NHL (@NHL) May 1, 2023
Florida went up by two in the second period of Sunday’s game at TD Garden before Boston scored three unanswered goals, including two in the first five minutes of the third period. With goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky pulled, defenseman Brandon Montour tied the game with exactly one minute left in regulation to send the contest to overtime.
THIS SERIES ISN’T OVER YET 😱 @MontourBrandon just forced OT in #Game7! #StanleyCup
🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT ➡️ https://t.co/oaJG9t1U2v #NHLonTNT
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/c0FJF22IZL pic.twitter.com/AMFsxNRItA— NHL (@NHL) May 1, 2023
8:35 into the extra session, left-wing Carter Verhaeghe roofed a wrister over the arm of goaltender Jeremy Swayman from the right dot after center Sam Bennett fed him from behind the net.
Bobrovsky was also the goaltender that the Tampa Bay Lightning were victim of in the 2019 first round, where the Columbus Blue Jackets swept the series after Tampa Bay tied an NHL record 62 regular-season wins with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings.
“We just did what nobody in the world thought we could do.”
Matthew Tkachuk chats with @SNCaroline following the @FlaPanthers Game 7 OT win. pic.twitter.com/vYVQYgPBTZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 1, 2023
Boston went all-in at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, acquiring defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right-wing Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals in addition to right-wing Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. They do not have any first-round picks in the NHL Draft in both of the next two years or any seconds over the next three.
Florida will face the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the second round after Toronto took down the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games during the first round.
By Harrison Brown