BOSTON — Patrice Bergeron scored twice, including the winner with 7.2 seconds remaining, as the Boston Bruins scored twice in the final minute to beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 Thursday night, pushing their points streak to 18 games.
Brad Marchand won a battle in the corner and shuffled the puck to Bergeron, who fired a wrist shot from the left circle past screened Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo to cap the Bruins’ improbable comeback.
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WHO: Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
TELEVISION: NESN
David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk also scored for the Bruins, who are 14-0-4 during their streak. Boston matched its second-longest streak in team history after a similar run last season and a 15-0-3 streak in the 1940-41 season.
Tuukka Rask made 22 saves to extend his personal points streak to 18 games (15-0-3).
Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and Aleksander Barkov also had a goal for the Panthers, who lost their sixth straight (0-2-4). Luongo finished with 24 saves.
Boston fell behind 3-2 with 9:08 remaining when Huberdeau charged into the Bruins’ zone against defenseman Zdeno Chara before executing a nifty spin move in the right circle and slinging the puck past Rask for his second goal of the night.
Grzelcyk pulled Boston even with a one-timer from near the blue line with 36.5 seconds remaining.
The Panthers grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of power-play goals early in the second.
Less than 30 seconds after Brandon Carlo was whistled for tripping, Barkov tipped in Keith Yandle’s straightaway shot for the game’s first goal at 2:48. Huberdeau corralled the puck along the boards and set up Yandle’s shot. It was Barkov’s 29th goal, moving him one behind team leader Mike Hoffman.
Huberdeau batted a puck out of midair in the slot for Florida’s second tally nearly four minutes later, and 30 seconds into Chara’s delay of game penalty. The goal was upheld after a brief review for high-sticking.
Krejci polished off a give-and-go for Boston with 9:31 left in the second. The Bruins’ alternate captain struggled to get a handle on Danton Heinen’s return feed through the slot, but still got enough on the shot to beat a sprawling Luongo.
Boston capitalized on a Panthers giveaway for a short-handed goal, as Bergeron scored on a wrister behind the left circle with 11:10 remaining to tie it at 2.
NOTES: Florida beat Boston 5-0 at home in their first meeting this season Dec. 4. … With two points, Barkov joined Olli Jokinen and Pavel Bure as the only players in Panthers history to record consecutive 70-point seasons. … Yandle played in his 782nd consecutive game, tops among active players. … Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk was scratched because of a lower-body injury, forcing the team to recall center Karson Kuhlman from Providence of the AHL on an emergency basis. DeBrusk assisted on Krejci’s OT winner Tuesday against Carolina. … Boston center Sean Kuraly returned after missing two games because of a concussion. … Bruins left wing Marcus Johansson will be re-evaluated in a week after being hospitalized because of a lung contusion he suffered against the Hurricanes.
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