BSJ Game Report, Gm. 4: Bruins 6, Panthers 2 - Boston, Hall dominate 3rd to take control of series

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 6-2 to the Florida Panthers to take a 3-1 series lead, with BSJ insight and analysis…

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Bruins dominate third period to take hold of series: The Bruins took down the Panthers, 6-2, with a big third period, outscoring Florida, 4-1, in the final 20 minutes.

Taylor Hall had two goals and two assists, and Jake DeBrusk had two tallies. Linus Ullmark made 41 saves before Jeremy Swayman made two in relief at the end. The B's will take a 3-1 lead back to Boston for Game 5.

Brad Marchand opened the scoring on the power play near the midway point of the first. Sergei Bobrovsky (25 saves) denied Boston’s cross-crease chance on the rush, but Marchand jammed in the loose puck in the scrum before the whistle blew.

DeBrusk made it 2-0 early in the second on the power play, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing play on the rush with Hall and Dmitry Orlov.

Matthew Tkachuk got one back for Florida late in the second, going between the legs at the right post after Ullmark lost track of the puck when it hit the side of the net. 

Tyler Bertuzzi redirected Brandon Carlo’s wrister from the point to make it 3-1 early in the third, but Florida got one back on the power play thanks, to Sam Bennett.

DeBrusk jammed in another rebound on Bobrovsky in tight to make it 4-2 with his second of the night. Hall finished a smooth breakaway late to make it 5-2 before his empty-netter sealed the 6-2 final.

Swayman came in for Ullmark after Ullmark took a misconduct late after a huge scrum involving Tkachuk.

FOUR UP

Taylor Hall: Hall has finally come alive here for Boston with goals in three straight games. After his massive outing in Game 4, he now has four goals and three assists for seven points in his last three games. Boston outscored Florida, 2-0, with Hall on the ice at 5-on-5 and high-danger chances favored the B’s, 7-2. Could be bad news for the rest of the league.

Jake DeBrusk: No surprise to see DeBrusk come up with some big goals in a big playoff game. He exited the first period when he took a pass from Hall off the side of the face before returning none the worse for wear. He had a nose for the net, redirecting Orlov’s feed on the power play in the second before jamming home a rebound in the third for crucial insurance. 

Hampus Lindholm: Lindholm drove the play from the backend as well as anybody in this one. The Bruins out-attempted Florida 25-17 with Lindholm on the ice in all situations. They outshot the Cats 12-8, and had a lopsided 17-6 edge in scoring chances (8-2). 

Linus Ullmark: Ullmark put out another strong showing for Boston with 41 saves before getting the gate at the end. He stopped eight of 10 high-danger shots. Sure, the Bruins were involved in that scrum on the end, but it’s still good on Ullmark to stand up for himself, too. 

ONE DOWN

Trent Frederic: Frederic felt practically invisible tonight for Boston. He had just one hit on the night, and none in the third as the physicality ramped up late. Shots favored the Panthers 10-4 with Frederic on the ice at 5-on-5 and attempts were 13-6. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Hall has been a monster lately, and he finished the slick breakaway to put the game away.

LOOSE PUCKS

Paul Maurice tried as hard as he could to dictate the matchups with the last change in this one, but it was no use, particularly at the face-off dot against Charlie Coyle and Tomas Nosek. Boston won 64 percent of draws as a team, Coyle won 79 percent of his face-offs and Nosek went 78 percent at the dot.

Tkachuk is a desired commodity around the league. A hard-nosed, pesky 100-point scorer, who doesn't want that? But he became a sideshow in this one, losing his head and costing his team. There was the cross-check on Garnet Hathaway at the end of the first period to give Boston a power play that it scored on, then the garbage-time fiasco with Ullmark.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins are back in action on Wednesday for Game 5 against the Panthers. Puck-drop is set for 7 p.m. at TD Garden.