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Bruins Overwhelm Panthers in Game 1 of Second-Round Matchup

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Bay | Last updated 5/6/24

The Boston Bruins jumped out to a 1-0 series lead against the Florida Panthers by stealing a 5-1 victory against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The Bruins continued their 2023-24 dominance against the Panthers, as they swept the 2023-24 regular-season series against the Panthers (BOS: 4-0-0, FLA: 0-2-2). It’s the sixth time in franchise history that Boston has done so, following 2013-14 (5-0-0), 2016-17 (5-0-0), 2010-11 (4-0-0), 2001-02 (4-0-0) and 2012-13 (3-0-0).

Both teams were scoreless in the first half of the game before Matthew Tkachuk got Florida on the board nearly 12 minutes into the second period. The Bruins responded with a flurry of goals late in the second from Morgan Geekie, Mason Lohrei, and new father, Brandon Carlo.

For Carlo, this game was an extra special moment in his life. The Boston defenseman wasn’t with his team Monday morning for an excellent reason; his wife, Mayson, was giving birth to their son, Crew. It’s the couple’s second child.

With mother and baby doing well, Carlo flew to South Florida, arriving at Amerant Bank Arena later than the rest of his teammates, and scored a second-period goal for the Bruins. He scored with 21 seconds left in the second, getting his second goal of the playoffs and giving Boston a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.

It’s the new dad strength! pic.twitter.com/eu0HXbevzf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 7, 2024

Boston got goals from Justin Brazeau in the third period, followed by an empty-netter from Jake DeBrusk, while goaltender Jeremy Swayman stopped 38 of 39 shots from the Panthers.

Game Notes

Mason Lohrei and Carlo each scored for the Bruins. Boston has four goals scored by defensemen this postseason, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets for the second most. Only the Colorado Avalanche (5) have more.

Tkachuk (4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points in 6 games played) extended his postseason-opening point streak to six games and established the longest such run in Panthers history. Carter Verhaeghe (5 GP; active), Aleksander Barkov (5 GP in 2021), and Jason Wooley (5 GP in 1996) are the only others to post a five-game run with Florida.

Lohrei scored his first career playoff goal. He became the eighth rookie to score a goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the second Bruins skater (John Beecher: 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point in 7 games played). Just three other rookie defensemen in the past decade have scored a goal for Boston in the postseason: Connor Clifton (1 in 2020 & 2 in 2019), Charlie McAvoy (1 in 2018) and Torey Krug (2 in 2014).

Swayman became the eighth goaltender in NHL history to allow two or fewer goals in each of his first seven starts of a single postseason. The others: Clint Benedict (9 GS in 1928), Jaques Plante (8 GS in 1969), Terry Sawchuk (8 GS in 1952), Jean-Sebastian Giguere (7 GS in 2007), Cam Ward (7 GS in 2006), Nikolai Khabibulin (7 GS in 2004) and Charlie Gardiner (7 GS in 1931).

The two teams will meet again on Wednesday, May 8, at Amerant Bank Arena.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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