SUNRISE, Fla. — For the first time this postseason, the Boston Bruins succumbed to game management lapses.
Jim Montgomery witnessed his team take a 1-0 lead in the first period after Charlie Coyle completed a tic-tac-goal that involved Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha following Brandon Montour’s turnover along the walls.
Instead of building on that early lead, the second-year Boston bench boss watched his team self-inflict in the middle 20.
The Bruins struggled to clear pucks out of their defensive end throughout Wednesday’s outing. The opportunistic Panthers pounced, beginning with Steven Lorentz’s tip in front of the net just 1:56 into the middle frame.