Recap: Bruins exit first round with 4-3 overtime loss to Panthers in Game 7

The Boston Bruins were eliminated from the postseason after falling 4-3 to the Florida Panthers in overtime at the TD Garden in Game 7 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Jeremy Swayman entered the game cold, but gave the Bruins a fighting chance tonight. He made some huge saves and looked composed.

Swayman made 27 saves.

The loss was not on goaltending tonight, but more mistakes that caught up to the team throughout the series.

They continued to turn over the puck in the defensive zone and couldn’t counter the Panthers’ forecheck. Passes were thrown right onto Panthers’ sticks. Not to mention, the Bruins continued to look for the pass rather than take the shot.

The Panthers were the better team tonight, and overall better team this series, but the loss still stings.

The Bruins found themselves down after 40 minutes, with some missed opportunities on the power play, despite getting one on the man-advantage to bounce back within one.

The B’s started to get their structure back towards the end of the second and that carried on to strike on the power play and tie the game early in the third period.

There was a glimmer of hope that last throughout the third after David Pastrnak netted the go-ahead for the Bruins.

But the Panthers struck with one minute remaining sent Game 7 into overtime.

The B’s spent most of the overtime period on the defensive, and it ultimately caught up to them.

It was a disappointing end. There’s really not much more to say.

There will likely be one big question this offseason, which seemed to be magnified as the Bruins left the ice.

And that’s what Patrice Bergeron decides to do.

Bergeron told reporters postgame that he would take some time to think about his future, but the time wasn’t now with the loss still so fresh.

Thank you to everyone who’s made this blog a community and been with us all season. We’ll be here for all your offseason news and whatever happens next.

Here are the highlights:

First period:

The Panthers opened the scoring at 12:23 of the first period on the power play.

Anton Lundell gives a pass back to Brandon Montour entering the offensive zone who then lifted a backhander past Jeremy Swayman. 1-0 Panthers.

Second period:

The Panthers took a two-goal lead at 1:14 of the second period.

Eetu Luostarinen found Sam Reinhart at the top of the right-wing circle where he threw a wrist shot top-shelf past Swayman’s glove shoulder. 2-0 Panthers.

The Bruins cut into their deficit at 7:52 of the second period on the power play.

Dmitry Orlov fed David Krejci a one-timer that he put past Sergei Bobrovsky’s blocker. 2-1 game.

Third period:

The Bruins tied the game 55 seconds into the third period on the power play.

Dmitry Orlov fired a blast from the point that Tyler Bertuzzi tipped and put past Bobrovsky. 2-2 game.

The Bruins took the lead at 4:11 of the third period.

David Pastrnak picked up a lengthy rebound from Brandon Carlo’s shot and fired the puck past Bobrovsky to give the Bruins the lead. 3-2 Bruins.

The Panthers tied the game at 19:00 of the third period.

With the extra attacker, Brandon Montour put a shot from the blue line on net that hit Charlie McAvoy’s stick before snaking past Swayman’s blocker. 3-3 game.

The Panthers won Game 7 at 8:35 of overtime.

Carter Verhaeghe beat Swayman top-shelf glove shoulder. Final score: 4-3 Panthers.