The Florida Panthers saved their season on Wednesday with a big win against the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bruins fans were certainly stunned, but the Panthers knew they had a great chance of winning.
Panthers forward Sam Bennett spoke to the media following the Game 5 victory. He pulled back the curtain on how the team felt in the locker room before the puck dropped for overtime.
“It was more just relax, make plays and enjoy the moment. There wasn’t much that really needed to be said. We knew that someone was going to be the hero in here,” he said.
Bennett had some heroics himself in the game Wednesday night. After Florida lost a 1-0 lead, Bennett gave them the lead right back after firing home a pass from teammate Carter Verhaeghe.
The Bruins eventually tied the game at 2, but that also wouldn't last. Florida forward Sam Reinhart scored in the third period to re-establish a one-goal lead for the Panthers.
Boston once again tied the game on a goal from star forward Taylor Hall. Hall's fifth goal of the series gave the Bruins momentum, and it seemed they'd win the game in the final seconds.
Bruins superstar Brad Marchand had a breakaway opportunity as the clock raced toward zero. However, his shot was stopped by Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to force overtime.
And in the extra frame, the Bruins fell apart. Goalie Linus Ullmark gave the puck to Verhaeghe on a bad attempt to clear the puck. Verhaeghe found star forward Matthew Tkachuk for the game-winning goal.
Game 6 of this first-round series takes place in South Florida on Friday. Only time will tell if the Panthers can carry this momentum and force a Game 7.
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