BOSTON — The Bruins were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Panthers for a second straight season Friday night.
After blowing out Florida, 5-1, in Game 1, Boston had a hard time finding its offense, which ultimately led to the Panthers winning the series, 4-2.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead with just 53 seconds remaining in the first period of Game 6 but couldn’t get the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky on several Grade-A chances in the second period.
“I didn’t sense frustration,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said after the 2-1 loss. “But the lack of our ability to score in the playoffs in general … you can’t win every game 2-1.”
It wasn’t that Boston didn’t have its opportunities in the series to score goals, the Bruins just couldn’t capitalize.
“We had the opportunities, right? I think we had five odd-man rushes after two periods tonight,” Montgomery said. “Game 4, we had several. We had three breakaways. It comes down to their goalie was good, and we didn’t beat him at times.”
The Panthers outshot the Bruins, 203-130, in the series and also outscored Boston, 19-13.
“I would say in this series we didn’t finish,” Montgomery said. “Outside of Game 1, I don’t think we scored more than two goals. We didn’t score more.
“But it’s not the only thing. There are several other elements of the series. The territorial zone time that they had over us has compounding effects. I thought we started (Game 6) off great and it got away from us in the second.”
Here are more notes from Friday’s Bruins-Panthers Game 6:
— Pavel Zacha tallied his first career playoff goal in the first period, but the Bruins couldn’t match the Panthers’ push in the second and third periods.
“We had a good start. I think we played well,” Zacha said. “Then they scored the goal, and they won the game. It’s hard to say we played great, but I’m proud of all the guys. Everyone left everything out there today, and we just came up short.”
— Jeremy Swayman, who made 26 saves, said he didn’t see the game-winning goal after he made the initial stop on Anton Lundell.
“I wish I would have put the rebound in a better spot,” Swayman said. “I didn’t see the release of the second shot, and there was a hole there, obviously. Unacceptable.”
— Brad Marchand returned to the lineup after missing Games 4 and 5 with an upper-body injury. Swayman expressed just how important the Bruins captain is to the team.
“We wouldn’t be here without him,” Swayman said. “And any individual in this locker room wouldn’t have excelled as much as they did without him.
“It takes a team, but it takes a leader, and he’s a true leader through and through. He’s a brother to me. … He’s a dominant player in this league for a reason. That’s someone I will always look up to and be grateful to play with.”
