BSJ Game Report, Gm. 5: Panthers 4, Bruins 3 (OT) - Florida extends series after overtime blunder for Boston

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers, who pulled the series back within 3-2, with BSJ insight and analysis…

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Florida extends series after overtime blunder: Turnovers cost the Bruins again at the worst possible time in Game 5’s 4-3 loss.

Linus Ullmark was indecisive with the puck before flubbing a backhander right to Carter Verhaeghe, who fed Matthew Tkachuk for the deke and the score for the overtime winner to force Game 6 in Florida.

Tkachuk had a goal and an assist, and Verhaeghe finished with three helpers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 44 saves.

Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist for Boston, who rallied from three deficits to force overtime, thanks to Taylor Hall’s spin-and-fire equalizer in the third. Patrice Bergeron scored in his return to the lineup, and Charlie McAvoy had two assists. Ullmark finished with 21 saves.

THREE UP

Patrice Bergeron: The captain was his typical self in his series debut. He won 20 of 29 face-offs (68.97 percent) and created eight individual scoring chances (five high-danger). He came through in the third period when he and Marchand connected for the redirect in the high slot to tie the game. Bergeron was also noticeably physical early on. Thought he would have finished with more than two hits on the night, but alas. Boston out-attempted Florida 38-8, outshot them 20-5 and out-chanced them 20-3 (10-1 high-danger) with No. 37 on the ice in all situations.

Brad Marchand: Like Bergeron, Marchand was one of the Bruins’ best in terms of possession and driving the play. The B’s had over a 77 percent share of shot attempts and actual shots with him on the ice. Scoring chances were 22-3 (88 percent) and 11-0 high-danger, as well. He stayed hot on the scoresheet when he took advantage of a leaky Bobrovsky in the first. He had a golden chance to end it on a breakaway as regulation expired, but Bobrovsky made the save.

Taylor Hall: Hall completely took over as the third period went along after a rocky start with DeBrusk and Zacha. He and Charlie Coyle continued to show their chemistry ahead of No. 71’s tying goal off the bar and in. He later tracked down Bennett and forced a turnover, one-handed. On the next shift, he used his speed to blow past Florida on the rush before zipping a cross-ice pass to Coyle for a look at a potential winning goal. 

FIVE DOWN

The line shuffling: After rearranging the lines ahead of the game, Jim Montgomery didn’t take long to turn on the blender again as the Bruins got off to a sleepy first period. He reunited the “Perfection Line” for a period of time among the adjustments. Of the original lines, Hall-Zacha-DeBrusk was particularly ineffective. The trio was out-attempted 7-1, out-chanced 4-1 and outshot 3-0 in just 3:34 of 5-on-5 time together. 

Forbort-Orlov: Tough night for this pair. They got away with a lackadaisical sequence in the first after Boston turned it over, Forbort fell down and Nick Cousins got an open look in the slot. He shot it right at Ullmark’s face, though. Forbort and Orlov couldn’t cleanly handle the puck ahead of the Bennett goal in the second, allowing the Panthers to hem the B’s in. Bennett had all day in the slot as the B's back-checkers and defensive pair were caught stick-waving. 

The power play: The man advantage came through on Marchand’s goal and again in the third on Bergeron’s goal, but it immediately reverted back to its initial form when it had a chance to take the lead late after a gift-wrapped too-many-men minor from Florida. The Panthers gave Boston fits on zone entries, and the B’s just couldn’t sustain pressure for long stretches on the PP. 

Tyler Bertuzzi: As good as Bertuzzi has been offensively this series, he’s had some significant gaffes with the puck in Boston’s zone. None were more costly than Duclair’s goal when he blindly sent it right onto Verhaeghe’s tape in front. 

Linus Ullmark: Ullmark had another up-and-down home game for Boston. While two of his goals against were on high-danger chances, the other two were considered medium-danger, per Natural Stat Trick. Obviously, the turnover in overtime is forgettable, and you’d like to see the glove save on Bennett’s second-period goal. Never ideal to give up four when you’re expected goals-against is 2.15. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Hall continued to be a force in this series, and his third-period equalizer was a perfect shot under duress, giving the Garden life when it sorely needed it.

LOOSE PUCKS

The Bruins passed up far too many shots in the first period, considering they hung five on Bobrovsky just the other day. There was this deferral from Jakub Lauko. 

LOOKING AHEAD

Game 6 will be Friday at 7:30 p.m. at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The Bruins will look to close out the series then.