Aleksander Barkov had two goals and two assists as the Florida Panthers beat the Boston Bruins 6-1 on Wednesday, tying this second-round series at one win each side.
Brandon Montour had a goal and two assists while Steven Lorentz, Gustav Forsling and Eetu Luostarinen also scored for Florida. Sam Reinhart provided four assists.
“We achieved what we wanted to do,” Barkov commented.
The Panthers chased Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman early in the third period after four straight goals, before beating Linus Ullmark twice. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots for the Panthers.
Charlie Coyle scored the goal for the Bruins, who lost to Florida for the first time in six games this season.
The series moves to Boston for games 3 and 4, Friday and Sunday.
There were 136 penalty minutes in the third period after several scuffles, including a brief fight involving Matthew Tkachuk of the Panthers and David Pastrnak of the Bruins.
“We are talking about two players who are part of the elite in attack. The pot was heating up and they wanted [échanger des coups], said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. I thought it was great. I’m sorry if I offend anyone by expressing this. It doesn’t matter to me. I thought it was great. »
Both players received 10 minutes of misconduct. A total of a dozen players saw their evenings cut short.
“The emotions made us lack discipline a little,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. But that’s part of hockey during the playoffs. »
Florida largely dominated the match. The club did not allow a shot for more than 16 minutes of play, spanning the second and third periods.
Swayman was making his seventh straight start — the longest streak for a Bruins goaltender since 2021-22, when Tuukka Rask made 11 in a row.
In the regular season, Swayman accumulated 43 starts, four more than Ullmark. The Panthers scored three times in each of the second and third periods.
Boston had not allowed more than one goal in a period during the current series. Overall, the team had not conceded three goals in a period in almost two months.
Barkov scored on the rebound of a Sam Reinhart shot midway through the second period, and also from the slot midway through the third, during a power play.