What Stanley Cup hangover?
The Florida Panthers looked like they picked up right where they left off last season, beginning their Stanley Cup title defense with a convincing 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Opening Night.
Despite the delayed start time due to Florida raising its Stanley Cup Championship banner, the Panthers jumped all over Boston early in the game.
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Sam Bennett opened the scoring by putting the rebound of an Evan Rodrigues shot past Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo at the 6:27 mark.
Just 64 seconds later, Eetu Luostarinen found a loose puck in Boston’s goal crease and put it home.
By the halfway point of the opening period, shots on goal were 12-1 in favor of Florida.
Boston cut the Cats lead in half thanks to a shorthanded goal by Pavel Zacha that came after an offensive zone draw due to Adam Boqvist being injured by a puck in the face and the draw coming down in Florida’s end.
No matter though, as the Panthers scored another pair of quick goals late in the frame to take a 4-1 lead into the first intermission.
This time it was Sam Reinhart scoring a gorgeous shorthanded goal and Bennett getting his second of the night.
Jonah Gadjovich finished off a nice odd-man rush pass from Jesper Boqvist to give the Panthers a 5-1 lead midway through the game.
Florida took a three-goal lead into the third after Charlie McAvoy cashed in for the Bruins during the middle frame, but a second goal by Rodrigues made it 6-2 Panthers early in the third and ended all hopes for a Bruins comeback.
A pair of late Bruins goals by Trent Frederick and David Pastrnak made the score close, but it was too little too late at that point.
Next up for Florida is a four-game road trip that begins Thursday night in Ottawa.
QUICK THOUGHTS
Adam Boqvist skated off the ice under his own power after taking a puck to the face during the first period, but he did not return to the game.
There were 11 different Florida players who registered at least a point.
Florida allowed nine shorthanded goals last season and another five during the playoffs. Boston scored one on Tuesday.
Florida scored eight shorthanded goals last season and another two during the playoffs. They also had one Tuesday.
The Panthers went 0-for-6 on the power play and were 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
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