Bruins rocked in season opening loss to Florida Panthers
After months of anticipation, the Boston Bruins opened the 2024-2025 campaign against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. While the Bruins spent the offseason retooling their roster, their struggles against the Panthers dating back to last season continued starting at puck drop.
In the first period, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game. Sam Bennet opened the scoring, and the Panthers doubled their lead shortly after on an Eetu Luostarinen goal. The Bruins finally got on the board thanks to a shorthanded goal by Pavel Zacha before the Panthers continued their scoring barrage with two more goals before the first intermission.
While the Bruins played better in the second period, they still trailed by three goals. Florida continued to play physical hockey, and Jonah Gadjovich recorded his first shorthanded goal of the night. Through the first 40 minutes, the Panthers held a 25-17 shot advantage and looked like the better team.Â
As the final period wound down, the Bruins had a few bright spots. David Pastrank and Trent Frederic both found the back of the net. However, the Panthers did not stop scoring and opened their season with a 6-4 win. While the Bruins still have plenty to work on, at least nine players recorded one point, and Charlie McAvoy led the way with two.
The Bruins will now shift focus to their home opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. They will need a better all-around effort to get their first win of the season, and Jeremy Swayman, who could make his season debut, could give them a big boost in net.
