The Boston Bruins came into Tuesday night’s tilt against the Florida Panthers riding a wave of momentum, but a chaotic second period and a shootout dagger from a familiar face proved too much to overcome. Despite a gritty comeback, the Bruins fell 5-4 in Sunrise, Florida, as Brad Marchand buried the game-winner in the fourth round of the shootout - this time, wearing Panthers colors.
Let’s unpack what was a wild one from Amerant Bank Arena.
Eyssimont’s Breakout Night
Mikey Eyssimont picked a good night to have a career moment. The 27-year-old forward notched his first multi-goal game in the NHL, and both tallies were highlight-reel material.
His first came courtesy of a slick feed from Alex Steeves, threading the puck through two Panthers defenders and onto Eyssimont’s stick. Eyssimont wasted no time, slipping the puck five-hole on Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game early in the first.
Then, after serving a bench minor, Eyssimont jumped out of the box and immediately found himself on another clean breakaway. This time, he deked to the backhand, pulled the puck around a sprawling Bobrovsky, and tucked it home for his second of the night. Two goals, both on breakaways, and both showcasing the kind of finish that turns heads.
Tempers Flare, Momentum Shifts
The first period was chippy, and that’s putting it lightly. It started with a high-stick follow-through from AJ Greer that sent Mason Lohrei briefly to the locker room.
Moments later, Sandis Vilmanis caught Charlie McAvoy with an elbow to the face. McAvoy went down hard and had to be helped off the ice, though he did return in the second period.
Things escalated quickly. Jonathan Aspirot stepped in with some old-school retribution, and Bruins head coach Marco Sturm was hit with a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct in the chaos.
Ironically, despite Vilmanis initiating the sequence with a dangerous elbow, it was Florida who ended up on the power play. Boston’s PK unit stood tall, but the tone of the game had been set - this was going to be a grinder.
Before the period ended, Tanner Jeannot and Greer dropped the gloves in a spirited tilt. Jeannot landed several heavy shots and scored the takedown, adding another layer of intensity to an already heated matchup.
Panthers Strike Fast in the Second
The second period is where things unraveled for Boston. Florida scored three times - none of them at even strength.
Just 30 seconds into the middle frame, Uvis Balinskis beat Joonas Korpisalo with a shot from distance on the power play to tie things up. Then, after a Viktor Arvidsson hooking penalty, Matthew Tkachuk gave Florida the lead with a slick backhander past Korpisalo - another power-play goal.
Things went from bad to worse when the Bruins earned a lengthy power play opportunity, including a brief 5-on-3. But instead of clawing back, they gave one up. Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell connected on a shorthanded two-on-one, with Lundell lifting a shot over Korpisalo to make it 4-2.
Three goals in the second period - all special teams. The Bruins’ penalty kill and power play both had their hands full, and Florida took full advantage.
Boston Fights Back
Down two heading into the third, the Bruins didn’t fold. At the 7:52 mark, Charlie McAvoy - back on the ice after that first-period elbow - blasted a shot from the point.
Mark Kastelic got a stick on it, then his arm, and redirected the puck past Bobrovsky. Ugly?
Maybe. Effective?
Absolutely.
That goal gave Boston life, and they capitalized on their sixth power play of the night. After some clean puck movement, David Pastrnak found Casey Mittelstadt in the slot. Mittelstadt didn’t miss, ripping a shot past Bobrovsky’s blocker to tie the game at 4-4.
It was the Bruins’ only power-play goal of the night (1-for-7), but it came at the perfect time.
Shootout Heartbreaker
Neither team could find the winner in overtime, so it came down to the shootout. Florida struck first, and Arvidsson answered for Boston. The next few rounds were quiet - until the Panthers sent out Brad Marchand.
In a moment dripping with irony, Marchand - the longtime Bruin and fan favorite - stepped up and delivered the final blow against his former team. His shootout tally sealed the win for Florida and capped off a wild night in Sunrise.
Looking Ahead
The Bruins now head into the Olympic break with a bit of a sour taste, but there’s plenty to build on. Mikey Eyssimont’s breakout, McAvoy’s resilience, and a third-period rally all showed this team’s fight. Joonas Korpisalo made 22 saves and remains unbeaten in regulation over his last six starts (4-0-2), giving Boston a steady presence between the pipes.
Nine Bruins are heading to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the rest of the squad will get some much-needed rest. When they return, it’s back to business with a matchup against Rick Bowness and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Plenty of hockey left - and if this game was any indication, the Bruins are far from done making noise.