The Florida Panthers pulled off a stunning upset against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, eliminating the record-setting Bruins from the playoffs. The Bruins had won an NHL-best 65 games in the regular season and taken a 3-1 series lead, but the Panthers came back to win the series. The Panthers tied the game late in regulation and then won 4-3 in overtime with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle by Carter Verhaeghe.
The Panthers were the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and clinched a playoff spot when two other teams lost. They were eight points out of a playoff spot after Christmas, but they won three in a row after falling behind 3-1 in the series to advance in the postseason for just the second time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. Sergei Bobrovsky made 33 saves for Florida in Game 7. The Bruins had not lost three games in a row all season, but they became the second Presidents’ Trophy winner in five years to lose in the first round.
The Panthers shocked hockey by beating the top-seeded Bruins in Game 7 overtime. The Bruins were -320 to win the series at FOX Bet, while the Panthers were +250. The Panthers will now face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the playoffs. The Panthers’ victory over the Bruins is a reminder that anything can happen in the playoffs and that regular-season success does not guarantee playoff success.
