BOSTON — 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 Sunday night.

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

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

Florida starter James Reimer left in the third period 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.

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

After beating the Bruins for the second time in three games, Florida is headed home despite an impressive 25-8-2 run to end the season, including winning its last five.

Trailing 3-1 heading into the third, Boston made a furious surge, outshooting Florida 26-6 but only scoring once.

Pastrnak scored a power-play goal at 9:54 of the third. Pastrnak led the Bruins with 35 goals and had a career-high 80 points.

Dadonov put the game away when he scored an insurance goal with 1:49 remaining.

Boston had been unbeaten in regulation over its last 11 home games and had beaten Florida in 12 of 13 overall.

Boston lost in the first round last year to Ottawa in six games after failing to make the playoffs the two previous seasons.

NOTES: Brad Marchand failed to score in the Bruins’ final six games, and David Krejci has one goal in 16 games. … Borgstrom scored his first career goal. … Florida D Keith Yandle tied his career high with his 48th assist. … Before the game, Garden staple Rene Rancourt peformed the national anthem for the final time in the regular season after 42 years. He was honored by the Bruins before the game and dropped the ceremonial first puck. He is still expected to sing prior to the Bruins’ playoff games. … Bruins forwards Rick Nash (concussion) and Sean Kuraly (upper-body injury) sat out the game. Riley Nash, who received around 40 stitches near his ear after taking a slap shot to the side of the head on March 31, is expected to skate Monday and may be ready for the playoff opener.