Bruins
Boston confirmed resilience after permitting a last-second tying objective in regulation.
The Bruins lastly acquired their first win in 2025 on Saturday, beating the Panthers in dramatic style and ending a six-game shedding streak relationship again to New Yr’s Eve.
David Pastranak sealed the deal within the waning moments of additional time, avoiding a shootout and giving the Bruins an additional level within the standings.
Listed below are three takeaways from the win.
The Bruins lastly confirmed some combat.
Attempting to guard a lead late within the third interval, catastrophe struck the Bruins within the remaining minute of regulation Saturday.
Boston was inches away from sealing the deal in opposition to the Panthers previous to the additional time interval, firing a shot off the submit in opposition to Florida’s empty web. The Panthers capitalized on that chance and netted the tying objective with lower than three seconds on the clock.
Identical to that, it regarded like one other collapse for the Bruins.
Besides Saturday introduced a distinct consequence. Boston didn’t simply roll over or deflate on the sight of the heartbreaking objective. As an alternative, it reloaded for additional time and didn’t accept taking the defending Stanley Cup champions to a shootout. The Bruins fired proper again with a heartbreaking objective of their very own, courtesy of Pastrnak.
The Bruins haven’t had a efficiency like that but in 2025, particularly in opposition to the highest groups within the NHL. For instance, earlier within the week Boston confronted off in opposition to final yr’s different Stanley Cup finalist, the Edmonton Oilers, and have been shut out 4-0 at residence.
Possibly Saturday’s recreation is usually a constructing block for the Bruins, who’re nonetheless hanging across the Japanese Convention playoff image regardless of a number of tough patches and a training change.
Jeremy Swayman wanted a recreation like Saturday.
Jeremy Swayman’s first season since inking his contract extension hasn’t gone notably effectively, however Saturday offered an instance of precisely what the Bruins hoped to get out of him as their star goaltender.
Swayman made 43 saves within the 4-3 win, ok for a .930 save proportion in a recreation when Boston desperately wanted Swayman. The Bruins’ protection was severely outmatched on Saturday, permitting over 100 whole shot makes an attempt to Florida. Swayman was beneath duress all recreation lengthy, and stood tall to offer his workforce a shot on the win.
The Panthers had an anticipated objective price of 5.75 on Saturday, so Swayman actually made an influence on the competition. His save proportion is now .918 within the final seven video games, vastly improved from his early season struggles.
David Pastrnak was heating up. Now, he’s on fireplace.
David Pastrnak has been heating up for a while, even when the outcomes on ice weren’t leaning in Boston’s favor. After one other multi-goal day, it’s protected to say the Bruins celebrity is on fireplace.
Identified primarily for his goal-scoring, Pastrnak hadn’t achieved a multi-goal recreation all season till Jan. 4 in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Within the final seven days, he has three multi-goal video games.
In equity to these round him, Pastrnak was given loads of assistance on Saturday. His first objective of the night time got here off an exquisite discover and feed from Morgan Geekie. Pastrnak solely needed to faucet the puck in on the again submit to offer Boston a 2-1 lead.
The additional time objective got here off a cool deflection off a Panthers stick, however when a participant is sizzling, the puck normally appears to take some favorable bounces, and the pucks are all bouncing in Pastrnak’s favor these days.
Pastrnak now has six targets in his final 5 video games and 19 targets on the season.
Boston will look to construct on its win on Tuesday when it faces off in opposition to the Lightning. Tampa Bay handed the Bruins a 4-1 loss on Thursday night time.
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