Florida Panthers Upset Record-Setting Boston Bruins

These Boston Bruins haven’t been accustomed to shedding streaks.

They tore by way of the N.H.L. in the course of the common season, profitable 65 video games, a single-season document; claiming the Presidents’ Trophy with a league-high of 135 factors, 22 factors clear of each different workforce; and outscoring their opponents by 128 targets.

But in any case that profitable, a three-game shedding streak, simply their second of the season, got here at an inopportune time. The Florida Panthers defeated the Bruins, 4-3, in time beyond regulation of Game 7 of their first-round playoff collection on Sunday night time in Boston to finish a uncommon comeback from a 3-1 collection deficit. And they did so in opposition to among the most formidable opposition within the league’s 106-year historical past: The Bruins had 43 extra factors than the Panthers did within the common season.

Boston had been so dominant that on Saturday night time, after Toronto beat Tampa Bay to win a postseason collection for the primary time since 2004, some followers of the Maple Leafs gathered outdoors the workforce’s enviornment and chanted, “We want Florida.”

They bought their want.

Carter Verhaeghe, a member of Tampa Bay’s 2020 championship workforce, clinched the collection with a left-handed shot from the proper face-off dot by way of a display screen by Matthew Tkachuk.

The Panthers constructed a 2-0 lead early within the second interval, inciting a smattering of boos from an antsy Boston crowd. The Bruins scored three consecutive targets and appeared poised to advance, however defenseman Brandon Montour pressured time beyond regulation by scoring his second objective of the sport with lower than a minute left, and the goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was despatched to the bench for an additional attacker.

By shedding within the first spherical, the Bruins had been dealt the identical destiny of the 2018-19 Lightning, who had shared the earlier document for single-season wins with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. That Tampa Bay workforce crashed out in a four-game sweep to Columbus, inspiring an apology to the followers on social media. Of the 4 groups to win at the very least 60 video games in a season, just one, the star-laden 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, went on to win the Stanley Cup.

This yr’s Bruins, beneath their first-year coach, Jim Montgomery, additionally had expertise all through their roster. Five gamers had at the very least 20 targets, and 5 had at the very least 40 assists. David Pastrnak, the star winger who signed an eight-year contract extension final month, led each these classes with profession highs of 61 targets and 52 assists.

In internet, Linus Ullmark’s league-leading save share and goals-against common had positioned him as a favourite to win the Vezina Trophy. And when Ullmark was not in between the pipes, Jeremy Swayman was posting stellar numbers, too.

This yr, Boston turned the quickest workforce ever to achieve 50 wins. By the tip, although, followers on the TD Garden had been trudging towards the exits after the Bruins turned the twenty eighth N.H.L. workforce to lose a playoff collection after main by 3-1.

Boston will now enter an low season with vital inquiries to reply. The workforce doesn’t have a lot wage cap house, and its unrestricted free brokers embody two members of its most up-to-date championship workforce — Patrice Bergeron, the 37-year-old captain and a prime defensive ahead; and David Krejci, who had a objective and two assists on Sunday. The workforce had rallied round these veterans to attempt to ship them yet one more title.

The Bruins additionally do not need high-end draft picks accessible. They do not need a first- or second-round decide this yr and, due to a previous commerce, they could not have a variety within the 2024 draft till the fourth spherical.

The Panthers had been soundly overwhelmed in Game 4 and had been one time beyond regulation objective away from their season being over within the subsequent sport. Instead, improbably, they’ll play on.