Panthers Take Down Bruins In Boston and Force Game 6

The Florida Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime in Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The series will now head back to Sunrise, Florida, where the Florida have yet to win a home playoff game.

The Panthers were significantly outplayed in Games 3 and 4, and the team will need to have another extraordinary effort to stay alive in the playoffs and send the series to a game 7.

Sergei Bobrovsky

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had one of the best games of his injury-riddled season, piling up 44 saves on 47 shots for a .936 save percentage. Bobrovsky stood notably tall as the game came down to the dying moments as Florida won an offensive zone faceoff – but too cleanly – and Bruins forward Brad Marchand was able to poke check the puck forward to neutral ice where he was able to beat out both Panthers defenders for a breakaway opportunity.

Bobrovsky stopped Marchand with about 1 second left on the clock, and the two teams went to overtime for the first time in the series.

The Bruins outplayed the Panthers for the majority of the game on Wednesday night, but Bobrovsky had an answer for almost everything the Bruins threw his way. I do, however, believe that Bobrovsky likely could have done more to prevent the game from going to overtime when the Panthers had leads on two separate occasions in the third period.

Linus Ullmark

Linus Ullmark, who has been sensational all year and is widely expected to take home the Vezina trophy, had an off-game, saving only 21 of the 25 Panthers shots he faced, and causing his team to lose by giving the puck up with an empty net in overtime.

Game 6

I expect both teams to come out and play tighter games in Game 6. I am positive that both the Panthers and Bruins both have things they believe they can improve on from last game.

I expect goalies on both sides to be locked in for Game 6 – which should produce a low-scoring game and potentially another overtime finish.