"Refs were clowns" "As usual choking again": NHL fans react as Boston Bruins suffer crushing 6-2 defeat to Florida Panthers in Game 3

The F͏lorida ͏Panthers outmuscled the Boston Bruins with a resounding 6-2 victory in Game 3, sei͏zing the series lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Co͏nferen͏ce Second Round at TD ͏Garden. Evan Rodrigues led the char͏ge with a brace,͏ supported by Serge͏i B͏obrovsky's solid goaltending, stopping 14 shots to secure the win for the Atlantic Division's top seed.

Brand͏on Montour contributed ͏a goal and an a͏s͏sist͏, while Matthew Tkachuk ͏s͏hined with three assist͏s, ͏amplifying the Panthers' offense. ͏On the opposing side, Jake DeBrusk and Jakub Lauko managed to find the back of the net for the Boston Bruins.

X/ Twitter erupted with reactions to the Boston Bruins loss as fans couldn't help but express their disappointment over their performance, as one of the fans said:

"As usual choking again"

One fan highlighted the officiating woes in the game:

"Refs were clowns , the Bruins weren't much better"

Other fans also voiced their frustration with the Bruins':

"Bruins cannot compete with Florida's power play" one fan said

"Disgusting showing. Embarrassing." another fan commented

"Another disappointing season" one fan reacted

"This is the end Boston. Marchand too old. Pastrnak is gonna want out. End of the road, welcome to lottery status for the next few years." another fan pointed

While some fans were optimistic and were looking forward to the next game:

"Props to the Bruins for getting two goals in the third instead getting shutout. Now move onto game 4 and hit the reset button. See you guys next game." one fan said

"Some Bruins fans think this series is over. I have no doubt that they can win Game 4." another fan said

Adding to the Boston Bruins' woes, Bruins captain Brad Marchand suffered an upper-body injury after a hit from Sam Bennett in the first period, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. Jeremy Swayman faced a barrage of shots, making 27 saves in a valiant effort for the Bruins.

Florida Panthers dominate Boston Bruins, Rodrigues propel Florida to victory

Rodrigues ignited the scoring frenzy at 8:04 of the first period, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead with a spectacular airborne bat-in past Swayman. The intensity heightened in the second period when Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei was penalized with a double minor for high-sticking at 14:37.

Seizing the opportunity, the Panthers capitalized on the power play with Tarasenko notching a goal at 16:14, followed swiftly by Verhaeghe's precise finish at 17:14, extending their lead to 3-0.

The Panthers didn't ease up in the third period as Montour rifled in a one-timer from the point on another power play at 3:09, making it 4-0. However, the Bruins fought back valiantly, with Lauko firing a snapshot at 5:01 for his inaugural NHL playoff goal, and DeBrusk finding the back of the net at 8:31, narrowing the gap to 4-2.

Nevertheless, the Panthers' resilience prevailed as Reinhart sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:36. Rodrigues then put the final stamp on the game with a blistering one-timer on the power play at 19:09, securing the 6-2 win for the Panthers.

With Game 4 looming on Sunday, fans brace themselves for another thriller, as the Panthers look to extend their series lead while the Boston Bruins aim to bounce back.