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The Boston Bruins, who dominated the regular season and set the record for the most wins in a single season in NHL history, were stunned in game seven of the first round by the Florida Panthers.
The Bruins entered the playoffs as the top seed in the NHL and the winners of the Presidents Trophy, but were unable to advance past the first round.
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The Boston Bruins took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, but the Panthers refused to go down without a fight. Led by strong performances from Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour, the Panthers rallied to win three straight games and knock the Bruins out of the playoffs.
The Panthers struck first in game seven, with Montour scoring on a backhand shot past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the first period. Reinhart then scored early in the second period to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
The Boston Bruins responded with two power play goals, one from David Krejci in the second period and another from Tyler Bertuzzi early in the third period. David Pastrnak gave the Bruins their first lead of the game with a goal midway through the third period.
But the Panthers refused to back off, and Montour scored his second goal of the game with just over a minute left in regulation to tie the game and send it into overtime.
In overtime, it was Carter Verhaeghe who played the hero for the Panthers, snapping a shot past Swayman to give the Panthers the victory and advance them to the second round of the playoffs.
The Boston Bruins, who had high hopes for a deep playoff run, were left to wonder what went wrong. Despite their regular season success, they were unable to carry that momentum into the playoffs and were eliminated in the first round.
For the Panthers, however, the victory was a huge boost of confidence. They had battled back from the brink of elimination and were able to knock off the top seed in the NHL.
As they prepare to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, they know they have got their work cut out for them, but they are also riding a wave of momentum that could carry them deep into the playoffs.
