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Elias Lindholm, Mikey Eyssimont and Morgan Geekie each scored a goal in an opening period that started out testy, carrying the Boston Bruins past the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Sunday.
Bruins Early Goals and Swayman’s Save Performance
Jeremy Swayman made 40 saves, with 17 coming in the opening period, for the Bruins. The victory improved Boston’s home record to 7-0-0 and marked their fourth consecutive win, coming just a day after the team placed young star James Hagens on injured reserve.
JJ Peterka also contributed a goal for Boston, helping the team maintain a plus-21 goal differential at TD Garden. Meanwhile, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each tallied two assists.
For the Panthers, Carter Verhaeghe scored a power-play goal, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots as Florida fell to three losses in their last four games.
Physical Play and Scoring Breakdown
The match began with high tensions as Boston’s 6-foot-7 defenseman Nikita Zadorov dropped the gloves against 6-foot-1 forward Brady Tkachuk at the opening faceoff, setting the stage for a game that accumulated 126 total penalty minutes. Just over six minutes later, Florida’s Garnet Hathaway squared off against forward Mark Kastelic. The Panthers had previously swept all three games against Boston last season, winning each by a single goal.
Following a lengthy review, Lindholm opened the scoring just 4:50 into the game when his wrist shot deflected off Markstrom and trickled behind the goaltender as he attempted to pull the puck back with his glove. Eyssimont doubled the lead less than two minutes later by poking a loose puck into the net following a wraparound attempt.
Geekie extended the advantage to 3-0 by one-timing a power-play goal at 15:59 while the Bruins enjoyed a two-man advantage, marking his fourth straight game with a goal. Verhaeghe answered for Florida with a one-timer to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Bruins entered the contest holding the NHL’s second-best goal differential behind Carolina, having last played on Thursday in a 6-2 victory at Pittsburgh.
Upcoming Schedule
The Panthers will conclude their three-game road trip on Tuesday against Columbus. The Bruins continue a four-game homestand on Thursday by hosting longtime rival Montreal.
