Evander Kane predicts which Eastern Conference team will make it to Stanley Cup Finals
Evander Kane predicts which Eastern Conference team will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Sports Seriously
The Florida Panthers solved Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, knocking him out of Game 2 in a series-tying 6-1 rout that ended with 13 players getting booted and All-Stars Matthew Tkachuk and David Pastrnak fighting.
“I’m not afraid of him, to be honest,” Boston’s Pastrnak told reporters. “I can take a punch and I’d do anything for these guys here.”
Swayman had been spectacular in the playoffs, allowing two or fewer goals (including a 5-1 win once morest the Panthers in Game 1 of the second round) before Wednesday and was looking strong with a 1-0 lead following one period.
But Panthers coach Paul Maurice changed up his top lines midway through the first period and Steven Lorentz, Aleksander Barkov, and Gustav Forsling scored in the second period for a 3-1 Florida lead. Forsling’s goal came with less than two seconds left in the period.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery pulled Swayman following a third-period goal by Eetu Luostarinen. Boston goalie Linus Ullmark, playing for the first time since Game 2 of the first round, gave up two goals on 10 shots.
As is usual in a blowout, things got out of hand. Boston’s Pat Maroon and Florida’s Nick Cousins got misconducts at 10:25, followed by the Panthers’ Luostarinen and Dmitry Kulikov and the Bruins’ Justin Brazeau, James van Riemsdyk, and Trent Frederic at 11:03. Boston’s Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy, plus Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola got misconducts at 11:58.
Matthew Tkachuk, David Pastrnak fight
Tkachuk and Pastrnak fought 44 seconds later and were also ejected.
“I’m proud of Pasta,” Montgomery said. “There’s so many guys out there pushing following a whistle when the linesmen are there. Pasta and Tkachuk, they just went out there and fought. That’s what you like. You like your hockey players to be competitors.”
Said Maurice: “It gets a little spicy out there and they want to go. I think it was awesome.”
Florida also won Game 2 in last year’s first-round upset of the Bruins. The Panthers have home-ice advantage this year following clinching the Atlantic Division title on the final day of the season.
Why Jim Montgomery pulled Jeremy Swayman
Montgomery had thought of pulling Swayman following the second period and did when the Panthers scored the next goal, but didn’t blame the goalie, saying he was “terrific.”
Swayman and Ullmark had switched off starts down the stretch, but Swayman has started eight of the nine playoff games.
“The workload hasn’t played into Jeremy Swayman,” Montgomery said. “The workload played into our effort tonight. We didn’t have juice tonight.”
Canucks 5, Oilers 4
J.T. Miller, Nikita Zadorov, and Conor Garland scored less than five minutes apart in the third period as the Vancouver Canucks completed a comeback from a 4-1 deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1.
Vancouver’s Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists. Edmonton’s Zach Hyman scored twice.
Connor McDavid was held without a shot on goal for the first time in his playoff career.
Thursday’s NHL playoff games
New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV. Rangers lead series 2-0
Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV. Avalanche leads series 1-0
A thrilling showdown took place in Game 2 between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins. The Panthers managed to solve the Bruins’ goaltender, Jeremy Swayman, leading to a convincing 6-1 victory. However, the game also witnessed some heated moments with multiple ejections and an intense fight between Matthew Tkachuk and David Pastrnak. Despite the loss, the Bruins players showed resilience and courage, with Pastrnak demonstrating his willingness to stand up for his teammates.
The Panthers’ victory marks a significant achievement for the team, as it is their first win once morest the Bruins in six games this season. They also scored a power play goal once morest the Bruins for the first time and showcased their strength by netting a shorthanded goal. The star players of the Florida Panthers, including Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, played pivotal roles, contributing multiple goals and assists to secure the win. Their strong performance sets a favorable tone for the upcoming Game 3 in Boston.
Looking at the broader picture, the outcome of this game raises several interesting points for analysis. One aspect worth considering is the ability of teams to adapt their strategies and make critical changes during matches.
