Florida Panthers troll Boston Bruins after eliminating them in game 7

The Florida Panthers eliminated the Boston Bruins from the first round of the 2023 playoffs after beating them 4-3 (OT) to clinch the series by the same margin on Sunday at TD-Garden.

The Panthers made it into the playoffs by finishing second in the East Wild Card region. They were predicted not to get past the Boston Bruins in the first round. However, the Panthers fought hard throughout the series. They rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the next three games.

Coming into Game 7 with 8:35 into OT, Carter Verhaeghe slotted the puck back into the net for the winner and eliminated the Boston Bruins from the first round of the playoffs. Panthers fans were on the top of the world after the win and some fans took jibes at the Bruins after the loss.

Florida Panthers stun Boston Bruins with a 4-3 OT series clinching win

The Florida Panthers entered the Game 7 on a high note and started to dominate the game early in the first period.

Brandon Montour opened the scoring sheet for the Panthers after he converted Anton Lundell's pass into the back of the net for a powerplay goal at the the 12:23 mark, giving the team a 1-0 lead before heading into the second.

1:14 minutes into the second period, Sam Reinhard extended the Panthers' lead to 2-0 after he beat Jeremy Swayman for a wrist shot goal. The Bruins bounced back with David Krejci scoring on a powerplay to trim the Panthers' lead to 2-1 before heading into the third period.

The third period of Game 7 between both teams saw an intense battle which was followed by a series of comebacks. Tyler Bertuzzi's goal coming within less than a minute into the third period tied the game at 2-2 for the Bruins. David Pastrnak then put the Bruins 3-2 up after notching the puck past Sergie Bobrovsky via a slap shot at the 4:11 mark of the frame.

The Panthers didn't lose their hopes and fought hard. With just one minute remaining for the final buzzer, Brandon Montour scored his second goal of the night and tied the game 3-3, forcing overtime.

8:35 minutes into OT, Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner for the Florida Panthers and eliminated the Boston Bruins from the playoffs.

The Florida Panthers will now take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2 in what promises to be a thrilling contest.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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