Discipline, defensive structure were lost

SUNRiSe, fla. — in their 100th year of doing NHl business, the bruins revisited their romanticized hurly-burly days of yore wednesday night, trading punches, elbows, facewashes, invectives — just about everything but shot attempts and scoring chances — in what was their most lopsided loss of the 2024 postseason, a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the ornery Panthers.

the loss, only 48 hours after the bruins pinned a 5-1 loss on the Panthers in Game 1, squared the best-ofseven series at 1-1.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first period, the bruins over the next 40 minutes fell apart like a late-’60s Studebaker. they lost all semblance of defensive structure, virtually abandoned their offensive attack, and late in the night went full late-’60s big bad bruins, engaging in an array of tussles that saw the two sides amass a combined 158 penalty minutes.

the mayhem included David Pastrnak, invited to roll in the mud by a bigger Matthew tkachuk, diving willingly into a punch-up with irascible Panthers winger. it was a relatively short grapple between the two highscoring, highly paid superstars, with the overmatched, rabbit-punching Pasta able to hold his own.

“You don’t see that often,” said an admiring bruins captain brad Marchand, reviewing Pastrnak’s handiwork in the sweet-and-sour science. “it’s great for him to step up. i mean, he doesn’t fight often, but he’s actually pretty tough … but you don’t want to see a guy like that get hurt, so hopefully he didn’t. when guys go down, they can blow out shoulders and hurt hands, so … great job by him stepping up. that’s what he does.”

A smiling Pastrnak showed no overt sign of injury as he talked to the media postgame.

earlier in the period, an old-fashioned rodeo ensued after a brandon Montour shorthanded goal, matching Pastrnak with Sam Reinhart, Marchand with brandon Montour, and charlie McAvoy with eetu luostarinen.

the return to bucket-of-blood hockey only lacked a retired wayne cashman, now a full-time resident of florida, jumping out of the stands to smack a two-hander over tkachuk’s noggin.

Absent cashman, Pastrnak took it upon himself, the elite czech winger jumping on tkachuk and belting away after appearing first to ask coach Jim Montgomery for permission to enter into the fracas. Montgomery said that was not the case.

when the Panthers rubbed out the bruins in Round 1 last season, the black and Gold lacked a physical response as the series slipped through their hands after taking a 3-1 series lead. they took a beating on the scoreboard in Game 2, but they clearly let it be known that they at least would not stand by and get facewashed out of another series.

According to the NHl, the 158 combined penalty minutes were the most in a playoff game for the Panthers. for the bruins, it ranked fourth, their most combined since a dust-up with the Sabres in the 1988 Adams Division semis.

More damning, from an efficiency standpoint, were the bruins’ meager numbers on offense. they were more than doubled by the Panthers in shots on net (35-15) and shot attempts (7433). Such was the result of being forced to play with their backs to the rear wall for most of the final 40 minutes. they were outshot, 26-9, over the final two periods.

the clubs amassed 146 hits (florida with 76), but that number is likely to be reduced. the league conducts a postgame audit to monitor hit totals, which vary wildly from rink to rink.

Most of the mayhem was unleashed after bruins winger Pat Maroon was tossed out on a game misconduct at the 10:25 mark of the third. Absent the bruins’ biggest and most ornery contributor, the Panthers felt free to amp up the aggression.

Just as the bruins flipped Game 1 their way with three goals in the middle period, the Panthers returned service with three of their own in the second two nights later.

the last of the three really hurt, Gustav forsling connecting with two seconds on the clock. other observations from Game 2:

■ for the first time this season, the bruins entered the third with a twogoal deficit.

■ Poor defensive coverage, with Steven lorentz left alone low in the slot, gifted the Panthers the 1-1 equalizer only 1:56 into the second. lorentz might have made the tip anyway, off the one-timer from Montour, but it was all the easier with bruins defensemen Derek forbort and Parker wotherspoon missing in action on the play.

■ ex-Sabre Kyle okposo didn’t get his name on the go-ahead goal, 2-1, but he made the key play, a jarring hit along the wall that left McAvoy without his stick. McAvoy was cut over the right eye on the play, his face smashed against the glass. Aleksander barkov collected a rebound off of a short-range Sam Reinhart bid, and the stickless McAvoy couldn’t prevent the savvy barkov from popping it home.

McAvoy later had to duck into the dressing room for suturing. Nothing, however, could sew up the open wound that was boston’s defensive end.

■ tkachuk, ever the instigator, was at his antics from the start, jabbing both Jeremy Swayman and brandon carlo during a whistle at the 0:17 mark. Amid the pushing, shoving, and instigating, Justin brazeau popped off tkachuk’s helmet, earring brazeau two minutes in the penalty box.

losing one’s discipline around tkachuk is not a prescription for success.

■ the bruins killed the minor on brazeau and then once again did nothing with their first power play of the night, lundell whistled for tripping Marchand. the bruins entered the without a power-play goal in four games (0 for 7) after going a sizzling 6 for 13 in the first four games against the Maple leafs.

■ it’s not essential to score on the man advantage. the bruins ran off with a 5-1 win in Game 1 without a strike on the PP. but goals on the advantage tend to make for an easier night. bruins went 0 for 3 in Game 2 and are 0 for 10 the last five games.

■ charlie coyle’s goal at 12:12 of the first was the 25th of his playoff career (115 games) and his first this season.

forsling. the two traded passes near the top of the crease, with Sergei bobrovsky turning back brazeau’s bid.

■ the bruins were tagged with another too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty at 15:48 of the second. that’s their fifth in nine postseason games. Not a good look. Also, inexcusable at the NHl level — or even bantam hockey.

■ when luostarinen made it 4-1 early in the second off a flurry of defensive miscues, Montgomery decided it was time for Swayman to get some rest after making seven consecutive starts.

Smart move. Montgomery will want to come back with Swayman friday .