Panthers tie series, score six on Bruins in Game 2

SUNRISE — After losing 5-1 at home in Game 1, The Florida Panthers quickly bounced back on Wednesday night, defeating the Boston Bruins 6-1 at Amerant Bank Arena. 

The series now stands at 1-1, with the Bruins hosting the next two games at the TD Garden in Boston.  

In the first period, the Panthers looked awfully similar to the team who got run out of the building in Game 1. 

The Bruins were forcing plenty of o-zone turnovers with their heavy forecheck, and it would give them a 1-0 lead off of Charlie Coyle’s first goal of the playoffs, 12:12 into the game. 

Florida was lucky to be down just one when they went to the intermission — it felt like Boston would repeat what they did the previous game. 

The Panthers didn’t have a lot of juice in the first four periods of the series. The only line that really didn’t look outmuscled was the one who sees the least amount of ice. 

Florida’s fourth-line never strayed away from the simple parts of the team’s style; pucks in deep, hard forecheck and creating traffic in front. 

1:56 into the second, Steven Lorentz tied the game after redirecting a point shot from Brandon Montour. 

The Panthers had life thanks to their depth players — their stars would follow suit. 

Captain Aleksander Barkov found the back of the net for the third time in the playoffs — giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead at the midway part of the period. 

In Game 1, Boston took control of the game after Brandon Carlo gave his team a two-goal cushion with just 20 seconds left in the second period. 

On Wednesday night, Florida flipped the script. 

With just one second remaining in the period, Gustav Forsling fired his first goal of the playoffs past Jeremy Swayman — the Panthers had their two-goal cushion. 

“It was obviously a huge goal by Forsy,” Barkov said. “It made us feel a little more comfortable going into the third.”

Eetu Luostarinen quickly increased Florida’s lead to three just 88 seconds into the fourth.

Boston would pull Swayman, bringing in Linus Ullmark for just his second appearance of the postseason, however this wouldn’t stop the bleeding in Sunrise. 

Barkov would pick up another goal and another assist — completely putting the game out of reach.

“I think, in a veery good way, he’s the perfect man to be captain of the Florida Panthers,” head coach Paul  Maurice said of Barkov. “We have an interesting spectrum of personalities in our group. We need a guy exactly like that (Barkov).”

Both Barkov (2G, 2A) and Reinhart (4A) would finish the game with four points.

“He stepped up when we needed him the most,” Eetu Luostarinen said of Barkov. “I think he’s been unreal all of the playoffs.”

Game 3 will be Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m. ET in Boston.

GAME NOTES 

There were 12 total misconducts in the game — all in the third period

Panthers’ Sam Bennett didn’t play, but is expected to join the team on the road trip

This is the first game of the playoffs where Jeremy Swayman conceded more than two goals — he gave up four