Stempniak Scores In OT, Bruins Beat Panthers 5-4
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Lee Stempniak scored with one minute left in overtime as the Boston Bruins earned a wild 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers on Monday night at the BB&T Center.
The Bruins, who also got two goals from Patrice Bergeron, blew a 4-1 lead before getting the game-winner on Stempniak's 17th score of the season.
The victory was the 388th for Claude Julien behind the Boston bench, making him the winningest coach in the Bruins' 92-year history. Julien, who now owns a 388-216-85 record, passed Art Ross for the top spot.
Boston (37-23-7) tied Florida (36-21-9) for second place in the Atlantic Division, each with 81 points.
Florida was in first place as recently as last week, but the Panthers were overtaken by the Tampa Bay Lightning (82 points), who lost to the Philadelphia Flyers earlier Monday.
The Bruins also got goals from David Pastrnak and Brett Connolly. Bergeron has 28 goals this season. Pastrnak and Connolly have nine each.
Tuukka Rask made 47 saves to help the Bruins improve to 5-1-1 in their past seven games.
Florida's Roberto Luongo (11 saves) allowed four first-period goals and was then lifted in favor of Al Montoya, who was perfect for 44 minutes until he was beaten by Stempniak. Montoya made 15 saves.
Despite the loss, Florida got a statistical consolation prize. On Aleksander Barkov's first-period goal, Jaromir Jagr got an assist to move him past Gordie Howe (1,850 points) for third place on the NHL's all-time list.
Florida added two goals by Jiri Hudler, who was making his Panthers home debut. Hudler's second goal tied the score 4-4 with 4:43 left in the third period.
The other Panthers goal was scored by Jussi Jokinen, who extended his point streak to eight straight games. Jonathan Huberdeau had two assists.
Boston scored on its first shift. Brad Marchand's great pass set up a streaking Bergeron, who merely had to redirect the puck. It marked the ninth straight game Boston has scored in the opening period.
But the Bruins weren't done there.
With 13:00 left in the period, a pass by left winger Matt Beleskey sprung Pastrnak, who picked up steam up the middle and beat Luongo with a backhand move.
The Panthers challenged the goal, arguing offside, but the call stood, and Boston had a 2-0 lead.
Boston added goals from Connolly and Bergeron, sandwiching Barkov's score, giving the Bruins a 4-1 lead after a wild first period.
Florida dominated the second period, getting both goals and outshooting the Bruins 18-5.
After Hudler cut Boston's lead to 4-2, Jokinen scored a power-play goal off a pass from behind the net by Reilly Smith. The Panthers' power play, ranked 27th in the NHL, ended a 0-for-8 futility streak over the past two games.
Boston, penalized for too many men on the ice to set up the power play, allowed the first 10 shots of the second period.
NOTES: Panthers LW Jonathan Huberdeau (upper-body injury) returned after missing six games. ... D Jakub Kindl and LW Jiri Hudler made their Panthers home debuts. ... Panthers RW Teddy Purcell (groin) could return Thursday. ... Florida G Roberto Luongo, who rested one game, made his first start since Thursday. ... This was Florida's first home game since a 1-3-1 road trip caused the Panthers to fall out of first place for the first time since Jan. 2. ... Panthers RW Jaromir Jagr played career game No. 1,613, passing Ray Bourque for ninth place on the NHL list. ... Bruins D Kevan Miller (shoulder), who was hurt on Saturday on a hit Washington Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin, didn't make the trip to Florida. ... Bruins LW Chris Kelly, out since Nov. 3 with a left leg injury, has been skating for five days. Boston hopes to get him back for the playoffs.
