Panthers block Bruins’ shot at top seed in East

BOSTON — The Bruins didn’t seem like the team with the most to gain until it was too late Sunday.

Roberto Luongo came off the bench to shut down Boston in the third period, and the Florida Panthers dashed the Bruins’ hopes of getting the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 4-2 win.

The Bruins trailed Tampa Bay by one point heading into the regular-season finale but couldn’t top a Panthers team that was eliminated from postseason contention Saturday.

“You would have hoped the urgency would have been there with an opportunity to win the division,” Bruins right wing David Backes said. “We had it in the third but needed it right from the get-go.”

Boston will host Toronto in the first round beginning Thursday. The Maple Leafs were 3-1 against the Bruins in the regular season.

Florida starter James Reimer left in the third with an injury, and Luongo came in and stopped eight shots over the last 8:07. The pair combined to make 41 saves.

Henrik Borgstrom, Frank Vatrano, Maxim Mamin and Evgenii Dadonov scored for Florida.

Backes and David Pastrnak had a goal each for Boston, with Pastrnak cutting the Bruins’ deficit to 3-2 shortly before Reimer was hurt. Tuukka Rask made 22 saves.

“We didn’t deserve to win, and that’s the reality,” Rask said. “It’s mental, just not being sharp enough at the drop of the puck.”