{"id":450856,"date":"2026-02-05T17:03:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/450856\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T17:03:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:03:08","slug":"brad-marchands-shootout-goal-for-the-panthers-deals-bruins-a-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/450856\/","title":{"rendered":"Brad Marchand\u2019s shootout goal for the Panthers deals Bruins a loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fortunately for the Bruins \u2014 and Team USA \u2014 McAvoy was able to return to start the second period. He will next suit up for Uncle Sam<\/a> next week at the Olympics.<\/p>\n

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Vilmanis was given only a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. Something that incensed his teammates and coach Marco Sturm, who was hit with a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said we weren\u2019t [upset],\u201d said Casey Mittelstadt, who scored a power-play goal midway through the third to force overtime and the subsequent shootout. \u201cObviously with Charlie, you never want to see that. He\u2019s Charlie McAvoy. He\u2019s our best D-man and a huge, huge part of this team. So yeah, we were worried for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sturm, who is normally measured with his comments<\/a>, was still agitated after the loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what to say,\u201d Sturm said. \u201cIt was a brutal hit, and everyone saw it. Obviously, you have the opportunity to look at the replay, too, and to come out with a four-on-four like that, I just didn\u2019t understand that at all.\u201d <\/p>\n

Sturm said he received no explanation as to why Vilmanis \u2014 who, coincidentally, didn\u2019t play after serving his penalty because of an upper-body injury \u2014 was not given a major.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, that\u2019s why I\u2019m here to protect my guys and especially Charlie and if you target his head, which was clear to see, that just [ticks] me off.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bruins held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes, but the story of the first period was the hit on McAvoy.<\/p>\n

The Bruins dodged an early bullet when Sam Bennett\u2019s wrister past Joonas Korpisalo (22 saves) was correctly reversed after the play was deemed offside. Florida got one for real moments later when Eetu Luostarinen pounced on a Morgan Geekie giveaway and zapped a shot over Korpisalo\u2019s glove.<\/p>\n

Mikey Eyssimont evened it for the visitors, collecting an Alex Steeves feed and buzzing in alone as Florida\u2019s Uvis Balinskis collided with a teammate to give him a free lane. Eyssimont ripped a low wrister past Sergei Bobrovsky (25 saves) for his seventh of the season and first of two in the period.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the Bruins (32-20-5)<\/a> ended up with a short bench after the McAvoy hit when Jonathan Aspirot was called for roughing (he went after Vilmanis) and Sturm\u2019s bench minor. The Bruins had to kill the penalty with just three defensemen as McAvoy and Mason Lohrei (in need of repairs after taking a high stick to the face) were in the room and Aspirot was in the box.<\/p>\n

Eyssimont served the bench minor and, as he popped out of the box, he was sprung on a breakaway by Marat Khusnutdinov. Eyssimont got Bobrovsky to commit by faking a backhander and then, from behind the net, he tucked it home for the 2-1 lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust feeling it, just felt good,\u201d Eyssimont said. \u201cI saw [Bobrovsky] trying to kind of fake a poke check really early, so I kind of knew I could do something in tight.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lohrei later returned, playing with gauze stuffed up both nostrils.<\/p>\n

Tempers overboiled late in the first when Tanner Jeannot and former Bruin A.J. Greer went at it, with both landing some bombs, including a Jeannot uppercut that the late Lyndon Byers would be proud of.<\/p>\n

The Panthers (29-24-3)<\/a> started the second period on the power play when Nikita Zadorov slashed Matthew Tkachuk after the final buzzer of the first.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for the hosts to tie it. Tkachuk sent the puck through the slot where Balinskis pinched in and bombed one past Korpisalo.<\/p>\n

The Panthers regained the lead when Tkachuk banged home a loose puck at the post with Viktor Arvidsson off for a hook.<\/p>\n

Boston earned three straight power plays, but despite good puck movement and opportunities could not get one past Bobrovsky.<\/p>\n

To make matters worse, Florida doubled its lead when Anton Lundell finished off a two-on-one from Sam Reinhart to make it 4-2 \u2014 the sixth shorthanded goal Boston has allowed this season.<\/p>\n

In the third, Mark Kastelic struck for his ninth<\/a> to pull Boston within 4-3. Mittelstadt\u2019s 12th forced free hockey.<\/p>\n

Arvidsson and Lundell traded shootout goals before the next five bidders were turned aside, setting the table for Marchand, who went backhand top-shelf past Korpisalo.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, honestly I knew he\u2019s going to do the backhand move, that\u2019s his move,\u201d said David Pastrnak, Marchand\u2019s longtime teammate and linemate. \u201cSo, it was either that backhand high or backhand five-hole. That was my guess on the bench, but no emotion. You always want to win the game, so I obviously don\u2019t want him to score, but I bet it felt good for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the NHL entering its Olympic break, the Bruins won\u2019t play again until the suddenly white-hot Blue Jackets come to TD Garden on Feb. 26<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl. Ben Volin and Dan Shaughnessy are in Denver to break down the AFC Championship game and preview Super Bowl LX.<\/p>\n

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n