Bruins beat Panthers 3-2 to gain 5 points in Atlantic

Associated Press (AP) — Jesper Boqvist scored 2:05 into overtime, Linus Ullmark stopped 28 shots and the Boston Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday in a matchup between the top two teams in the Atlantic division.

First-place Boston moved five points ahead of second-place Florida. Both teams have four games remaining in the regular season – with the Panthers all at home.

“It’s another big game, another playoff type game against a team that’s going to be there and those games aren’t hard to win,” said Boston center Charlie Coyle, who scored an advantage goal digital in the second period. “It makes you feel good. It gives you the confidence to win those, first of all, but just to do it and play the way we want to play and know how to play.

Charlie McAvoy also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 5-1 since coach Jim Montgomery lambasted the team during practice March 25 for its lack of attention to detail and lack of preparation for the playoffs.

“I just think it was a wake-up call that our group needed that day,” Montgomery said. “I think the reason we are 5-1 is because our team is growing and maturing, and we have great leaders.”

Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.

The Bruins swept the four-game series between the teams and moved one point behind the New York Rangers to have the best overall record in the NHL.

The Panthers eliminated Boston in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring after the Bruins set NHL records for wins (65) and points (135).

During overtime, Boqvist skated down the left wing on a partial breakaway after collecting a loose puck near center ice and fired a wrist shot inside the left post for the win.

With the Panthers leading 2-1 and the teams playing 4-on-4 due to corresponding minor penalties, Barkov slotted a rebound past Ullmark 5:24 into the third period.

While Tkachuk was in the penalty box for interference, Brad Marchand sent a pass from the left wing to Coyle, who was rushing towards the slot. He redirected it inside the left post for his 25th goal, making it 2-1 with 4:15 left in the second period to end Boston’s 0-of-13 power play drought.

Bobrovsky made a sprawling left pad save on Marchand’s attempt from close range with just under a minute left in regulation.

Florida outshot Boston 13-5 in the third period.

Ullmark made a glove save on Evan Rodrigues at the end of a 2-on-1 break with just over six minutes left in the third.

“Linus was really good again,” Montgomery said. “He just continues many impressive starts in a row here, which makes real desperation stops look easy.”

Tkachuk took advantage of a wild rebound when Vladimir Tarasenko’s entry pass hit high off the back glass and right at him in the slot, where he slipped a wrist shot past Ullmark to make it 1-0 just 37 seconds into the first period.

McAvoy tied it at 5:42 of the first period when he collected Danton Heinen’s backhand pass in the high slot before firing a wrist shot past Bobrovsky’s glove.

The teams showed a bit more intensity than a normal regular season match, with brawls and melee after the whistle on several occasions.

“It’s fun, it’s emotional,” McAvoy said. “I think both teams played hard today and it was a really good hockey game.”

UP NEXT Panthers: Host Ottawa Tuesday night to open a four-game homestand.

Bruins: Host Carolina on Tuesday night.