In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, the Bruins suffered a deflating Game 5 loss to the Florida Panthers. In other news, Taylor Hall continued his hot stretch of play, while Patrice Bergeron returned to action and made an impact. Lastly, is it time to panic about David Pastrnak‘s cold streak?
Bruins Lose Game 5
The Bruins were in a prime position to knock out the Panthers on Wednesday (April 26). After winning both games in Sunrise, the Bruins headed back to Boston with a commanding 3-1 series. They did not take advantage of their wonderful opportunity, however, as they lost 4-3 in overtime to the Panthers after a horrendous turnover behind the net by Linus Ullmark. Now, the Bruins will try to secure the series on the road, which is never an easy task.
A big reason why the Bruins lost was the spectacular play of Sergei Bobrovsky. The $10 million average annual value (AAV) man lived up to his cap hit last night, making 44 saves on 47 shots. Carter Verhaeghe also was a big reason why Boston lost, as he had three assists.
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Game 6 between the Bruins and Panthers will be tomorrow night (April 28). We will need to wait and see if Boston can win and erase any possibility of them choking away this series.
Hall Continuing to Stay Hot
After returning from injury at the end of the regular season, Hall received some criticism from Bruins fans for his lack of production. The 2022-23 season was a bit of an underwhelming one for the former Hart Trophy winner, as he had 16 goals and 36 points in 61 games. However, he has picked his game up immensely since the postseason and continued that in Game 5 by scoring the goal that sent the Bruins to overtime.
After Game 5, Hall now has five goals, eight points, and a plus-4 rating this postseason. The Bruins will be hoping that the 2010 first-overall pick can continue this excellent play from here, as it could be exactly what gets them through the first round.
Bergeron Returns & Scores
Although the Bruins lost in Game 5, it was great to see Bergeron return to action. The 19-year veteran missed the first four games of the series due to an upper-body injury but put together a solid performance in his return. Most notably, the 37-year-old recorded his 50th career playoff goal in the contest.
The Bruins will be hoping that the Quebec native can continue to heat up as he gets used to game action again. There is no question that Boston is far better when their captain is back in the lineup, as he is their top two-way forward. Let’s see if he can get on the board again in Game 6.
Bruins Need Much More From Pastrnak
David Pastrnak was the Bruins’ best player all regular season, and the truth can be seen in his stats. In 82 games on the year, the 26-year-old set new career highs with 61 goals, 52 assists, and 113 points. It was a year to remember for the 2014 first-round pick, but it hasn’t translated over to the playoffs. In five postseason games, he has just two goals and has been held off the scoresheet in two straight games.
Hockey fans know what Pastrnak is capable of when he is performing at his best, and the Bruins need him to pick it up if they hope to get by the Panthers. As a result, I expect that the nine-year veteran will put together a big performance in Game 6. He is due, and he needs to deliver.