Bergeron leads Bruins past Panthers 7-3
By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer
BOSTON - Patrice Bergeron scored a pair of third-period goals after Boston almost blew a 4-0 lead on Monday night and the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 7-3 for their 17th home victory in 19 tries.
Bergeron added a pair of assists, and Linus Ullmark stopped 36 shots to earn his 10th consecutive win. The Bruins opened a 4-0 lead early in the second period before the Panthers scored three times in five minutes to make it a one-goal game.
But David Krejci slammed home the rebound of a Hampus Lindholm shot that bounced off both goalposts and out, giving Boston a 5-3 lead midway through the second. It stayed that way until Bergeron took a long lead pass from Connor Clifton and beat Spencer Knight with 11 minutes to play.
The Bruins captain added another goal about three minutes later, backhanding in a rebound from the slot.
Knight stopped 19 shots for the Panthers, who have lost four of their last six games.
RALLY TIME
The Bruins made it 4-0 in the opening minutes of the second, just 21 seconds into a delay of game penalty for firing the puck over the glass. Brad Marchand fed Bergeron, and his shot rebounded off Knight right to David Pastrnak.
That's when the Panthers woke up.
Just 100 seconds later, Sam Reinhart got to a rebound that Ullmark left open and poked it in to make it 4-1. Eric Stahl one-timed it from the right circle to make it 4-2 with six minutes gone in the second. Three minutes later, with his back to the net, Carter Verhaege backhanded the puck between his legs - and Ullmark's.
As the puck trickled over the goal line, Boston defenseman Derek Forbort swept it away; it was originally ruled no goal, but replay showed it clearly crossed the line. (Forbort did manage to get behind Ullmark and punch one away with his glove in the third period.)
UP NEXT
Panthers: Host the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
Bruins: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
