The Bruins were talking as though the margin of victory should have been much closer after their 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday. In fact, a one-goal difference would have been an accurate reflection of a game in which: the Bruins converted two open-netters; got a favorable video replay on another goal; and survived three Panther shots off posts in the final period.
The Panthers kept things close for 58 minutes, 16 seconds, the Bruins breaking things open in the late going of a period they considered their worst of the day.
The difference-maker was provided by David Krejci, who broke a 2-2 deadlock at 14:30 of the second with the first of the open-net goals.
“It was a good puck-pursuit play, started with [David] Pastrnak chasing down the puck and Krejci following,’’ Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “[The Panthers] got one like that earlier, they got a funky goal, so I guess maybe we were due one in this particular game. But you make your own breaks — we heard a few of our players saying that on the bench — we’ve often said that.’’
Krejci finished a one-timer after Reto Berra came out on a long Torey Krug clearance. Berra banked his attempted clear off the boards in front of the Bruins’ bench and Krejci read the move, quickly firing from the point while Berra scrambled to recover, nearly colliding with defenseman Keith Yandle.
“I had a feeling the goalie might just kind of try to get it out, so I was just kind of skating to it and it went in the net,’’ Krejci said. “I thought we played well the first 40 minutes — definitely could have scored more goals. But got to give them credit, they played a decent game, as well. They’re a good team, they played pretty loose, they’re out of the playoffs — so sometimes a team like that, it’s kind of hard to play against.
“One of those nights we didn’t put up 60 minutes, but we got away with 2 points.’’
Krejci’s goal, 4:37 after Jaromir Jagr tied the score, gave the Bruins momentum.
“We got some breaks, but I think we made our breaks,’’ Cassidy said. “Krejci, that’s just good hustle. Whatever it takes. I think we’re going to score some nice goals, we have.
“We have high-end skill players, but sometimes you’ve got to get some hustle goals, too, and we got some of those tonight.’’
In the final period, the Bruins were outshot, 13-6, and survived three attempts off posts by the Panthers, then finished strong on Brad Marchand’s power-play goal at 18:16 and Patrice Bergeron’s open-net finish off a Jonathan Huberdeau turnover with Berra on the bench at 19:48.
“You need the best players to lead the way and the rest will follow,’’ Krejci said. “We’ve done that the last four games, different lines taking up — that’s what you like to see. Like I say, four in a row, let’s keep it going.
Krejci upped his season totals to 23-29—53, his goal total third on the team behind Marchand (39) and Pastrnak (32).
“It was a decent first 40 minutes, but in the third we kind of played on our heels,’’ Krejci said. “So that wasn’t our best period, but we got the job done, Tuukka [Rask] played well in the net.
“Sometimes it’s not going to be pretty, but at the end of the day we got 2 points and tomorrow’s another big game [at Chicago]. So, just get ready, get good rest, get back at it.’’
