Panthers go back to Boston, another chance to close out series, CBS Miami's Steve Goldstein
SUNRISE - The stage was set for another home handshake line and South Florida hockey celebration. With a 3-1 series lead the Florida Panthers had the Boston Bruins facing elimination at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. The nearly 20,000 raucous fans were ready for a second consecutive home playoff clincher but the 20 men in Bruins jerseys had other ideas. After a slow start, the Panthers somewhat found their game but came up short in a 2-1 loss.
Game 6 looms Friday night.
Sharpness
The Panthers just didn't have their usual 'in sync' type of game. There were too many lead passes and first passes out of their own zone that didn't connect or went for icings. The Bruins seemed to be the faster team. But after coach Paul Maurice emphatically implored his team to be better, they picked up their play considerably. But combined with Bruins' goaltender Jeremy Swayman's big saves late in the game, the Panthers just couldn't get the tying goal.
It's not supposed to be easy
Boston had 109 points in the regular season, one behind the Panthers. The fact that this series is going to a Game 6 isn't a surprise. The consecutive road wins in Games 3 and 4 put the Panthers in the driver's seat. They have won 5 straight playoff games in Boston and have been a great road team all season. The Panthers will head into Friday night's game, which is sure to be a wild atmosphere on Causeway Street, a confident team.
Sam does more than score
Sam Reinhart had an excellent Game 5. He scored the only goal and had a number of other scoring chances including one at the net in the final seconds. Reinhart kills penalties and plays terrific defense in addition to the 62 total goals he has now scored this season. His hockey "smarts" are off the chart, so much so that when Maurice wants more information about something in a game he seeks out Reinhart for his observations.