Bruins 3, Panthers 0: Tuukka Rask turned aside all 28 shots he faced to make Jaromir Jagr's 681st career goal stand up as host Boston snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-1) to move into first place in the Northeast Division.
Rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton also scored and Brad Marchand added his team-leading 18th goal with an empty-net tally. Carl Soderberg had an assist for his first NHL point for the Bruins, who completed a sweep of Florida in the three-game season series to pull even in points with Montreal. Boston holds the tiebreaker over its Original Six rival with a game in hand.
Rask registered his 15th career shutout - and fourth in 2013 - while improving to 7-1-0 against the Panthers. He stopped 10 shots in both the first and second period and eight in the third.
Jagr gave Rask all the offense he would need at 3:03 into the first period. The veteran skated along the upper edge of the right faceoff circle before wristing a shot under the crossbar for his 16th goal - and second since being acquired from Dallas.
Hamilton provided insurance with 6:27 remaining in the second period after faking a pass along the blue line before wiring a shot that beat Jacob Markstrom (36 saves) inside the left post.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Florida has been outscored 30-8 during its six-game losing skid and 20-5 on its four-game road trip. ... Boston recorded 21 shots in the second period. ... Panthers D Dmitry Kulikov collided with Jagr early in the third period and sustained an upper-body injury. He did not return.
Florida | Boston | |
N/A | Points | Dougie Hamilton 1 |
N/A | Goals | Dougie Hamilton 1 |
N/A | Assists | Patrice Bergeron 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Jacob Markstrom .947 | Save Percentage | Tuukka Rask 1.000 |
Jacob Markstrom 36 | Saves | Tuukka Rask 28 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Florida | 28 | 0 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 4 | 21 |
Boston | 39 | 3 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 4 | 27 |