Spooner Nets Two, Bruins Beat Panthers, 3-1
BOSTON (AP) — Ryan Spooner scored twice and Tuukka Rask stopped 26 shots to lift the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Backed by a strong stretch from Rask, the Bruins posted their eighth win in 11 games (8-1-2). Rask is 6-0-2 in his past eight starts.
The 28-year-old Vezina Trophy winner held the Panthers scoreless until former Bruin Reilly Smith's fired a slap shot from the right point that broke between his pads with 6:04 to play.
Brad Marchand sealed it with an empty-net goal, firing it from center ice with 1:23 to play.
Roberto Luongo made 22 saves for the Panthers, who lost for the third time in four games. They are winless in their past nine meetings in Boston (0-8-1).
Coming off a confidence-building win against the rival Canadiens in Montreal on Wednesday, the Bruins grabbed a 1-0 lead with 8:35 left in the first. Torey Krug took a shot from the left point and Spooner, near the left circle, redirected it past Luongo. The call stood after a video review to see if Spooner touched it with a high stick.
Boston made it 2-0 on Spooner's power-play goal 8 minutes into the second. With Aaron Ekblad off for tripping, the Bruins kept the puck in the zone for the entire advantage — getting about four or five excellent chances — before Spooner slipped a wrister between Luongo's pads from the right circle.
Luongo kept it at a two-goal deficit, robbing David Krejci with a glove stop in the closing seconds of the second.
For most of the first two periods, the Bruins limited Florida's chances, keeping them deep and outside the center of the ice. The Panthers had just 13 shots on goal after two.
NOTES: Florida C Vincent Trocheck played his 100th game. . Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt was at the game in a luxury box. The 97-year-old former Bruin got a big ovation when they showed him on the scoreboard. . Florida C Derek MacKenzie was helped off the ice by a teammate early in the second and didn't return. Boston RW Jimmy Hayes skated slowly to the bench after taking a hit along the boards in the first, but stayed in the game. . The Bruins opened a stretch of nine of 11 at home. They host Edmonton on Monday. . The Panthers played the first of four straight road games. They face the Islanders on Tuesday.
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