Elias Lindholm scores 1st of Boston's 3 goals in 1st period, carrying Bruins past Panthers, 4-1
Boston opened with a dominant 1st period, as Elias Lindholm, Mikey Eyssimont, and Morgan Geekie all scored to power the Bruins past the Florida Panthers 4-1, with Jeremy Swayman turning in 40 saves. The win extends Boston’s home success to 7-0-0 and comes amid a stretch of four straight victories, despite placing young star James Hagens on IR. The Panthers briefly rallied on a Verhaeghe power-play goal, but Boston stretched the lead with a late first-period strike on a two-man advantage before coasting through the remainder. The result keeps Boston atop a strong goal differential at TD Garden, while Florida heads to Columbus after a three-game road trip.
Dive Deeper:
Elias Lindholm opened the scoring just 4:50 into the game when his wrister deflected off Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom and rolled behind him, setting the tone for a physical start to the period.
Mikey Eyssimont added a quick follow-up by poking a loose puck into the net on a wraparound attempt, making it 2-0 less than two minutes after the opener.
Morgan Geekie extended the lead to 3-0 with a power-play finish at 15:59, converting on a two-man advantage after the Bruins controlled play in the period.
Carter Verhaeghe answered for Florida with a power-play tally to cut the deficit to 3-1, the Panthers’ lone goal of the night, while Swayman finished with 40 saves overall.
Boston’s special-teams and goaltending held firm, contributing to their home success (7-0-0) as they extended a four-game winning streak and moved within sight of a top position in the league.
The game featured a spirited opening sequence with Nikita Zadorov and Brady Tkachuk fighting at the faceoff, followed by Garnet Hathaway’s clash with Mark Kastelic, reflecting a highly physical start.
Upcoming schedule notes: Florida finishes the road trip at Columbus, while Boston hosts Montreal in a four-game home stretch beginning Thursday.