Marchand Scores Twice, Bruins Defeat Panthers 3-1
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SUNRISE (AP) — Brad Marchand scored twice and Zdeno Chara picked up his first goal of the season to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
Marchand, who extended his point streak to five games, also was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding Dmitry Kulikov with 2:06 left in the game. Kulikov left the ice bleeding.
Boston goalie Tuukka Rask made 31 saves and Florida's Roberto Luongo had 22.
Chara also added an assist.
Florida's Nick Bjugstad scored his fourth goal on a 5-on-3 power play at 11:32 in the third.
The first period featured a number of strong scoring chances, especially for the Panthers. But it was scoreless until the Bruins were able use the league's top power play to grab the lead after Florida's Reilly Smith was sent off for hooking. Marchand tipped in a long shot by Chara past Luongo at 9:22 for his third goal.
Rask kept the game scoreless early with big saves on a breakaway by Quinton Howden then a rebound chance by Alex Petrovic. He added a sliding glove save on a point-blank shot by Jonathan Huberdeau at 11:55 with Florida on the power play.
Marchand scored his second goal after controlling a shot by Krug, skating past Luongo and flipping in his fourth goal at 7:07 of the second.
Chara put in a rebound off Krejci's shot for Boston's second power-play goal at 9:13 after Pirri was called for tripping.
Bjugstad recovered Bolland's shot on the two-man advantage and beat Rask to cut the deficit to 3-1 at 11:32.
Florida had another 1:17 of 5-on-3 less than a minute later after Joe Morrow and Adam McQuaid drew minors but they failed to capitalize.
Chara was called for a delay of game penalty with 4:59 left. Florida pulled Luongo to set up a 6-on-4 advantage but couldn't score.
NOTES: The game was the first of four meetings between the clubs, who traded right wingers on the first day of free agency on July 1. Florida sent Boston-area native Jimmy Hayes to the Bruins for Reilly Smith and the $4 million salary cap-hit in the contract of Marc Savard (concussion), who hasn't played since 2011. ... The home team won all four games last season. ... RW Logan Shaw, 23, made his NHL debut for the Panthers. The Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, native was a third-round pick by Florida in 2011 and is one of 11 players on the roster drafted by the Panthers. ... Both teams play Saturday to complete back-to-back games. Boston goes to Tampa Bay while Florida finishes its three-game homestand against Washington before embarking on a West Coast road swing that starts Wednesday in Anaheim.
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