Panthers score 4 in 1st, open Cup defense with win against Bruins

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers got off to a fast start in their Stanley Cup championship defense, scoring four goals in the first period of a 6-4 win against the Boston Bruins at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday.

It was the season opener for each team.

Sam Bennett scored twice, and Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who raised their Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters before the game. Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves.

“You would like to think you will know what your team will look like in the opening game, and you never do,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “That is what keeps you awake the night before the opener. But we looked right, and fast, and quick. ... We skated well, and it was the banner for sure. But it was also the fans, right? They were wired and there was a great buzz in the building. We played off that. There was a lot of energy for that.”

Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist for the Bruins. David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha and Trent Frederic also scored.

Jeremy Swayman did not play after missing all of training camp before signing an eight-year, $66 million contract Sunday. Joonas Korpisalo, who was acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on June 24 for goaltender Linus Ullmark, allowed six goals on 35 shots.

“We weren’t good enough in so many areas tonight,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “They were. Their execution was really good and ours was really poor. I can’t pinpoint why we looked slow, but we looked slow the entire game, not just the first 10 minutes."

Bennett gave Florida a 1-0 lead at 6:27 of the first period, winning a battle with Brandon Carlo near the right post and tapping a rebound into the open net.

Eetu Luostarinen made it 2-0 at 7:31. Korpisalo stopped Reinhart's initial attempt, but Luostarinen lifted in the rebound in the crease.

“It is an emotional start to the season,” Bennett said. “Seeing that banner go up while you are shoulder-to-shoulder with the guys is pretty special. It definitely gave us a little juice to start the season off. We were right back to playing our style of hockey. It was a great start."

Zacha cut it to 2-1 at 15:33 with a short-handed goal, roofing a shot short side from the top of the left circle off a pass from Elias Lindholm.

Reinhart responded with his own short-handed goal to make it 3-1 at 18:34. He skated down the left wing, moved the puck inside on McAvoy, and scored with a shot that went off Korpisalo’s left shoulder.

Bennett scored his second of the period at 19:34 to push the lead to 4-1.

Jonah Gadjovich made it 5-1 at 9:12 of the second period, jamming in a backdoor pass from Jesper Boqvist.

“You have to play all 60 minutes, and they are a good team who plays hard,” Gadjovich said. “But if we focus on our game, worry about ourselves, we’re going to walk away with a few wins."

McAvoy made it 5-2 at 12:32 of the second, scoring five-hole after Bobrovsky couldn't glove down John Beecher's initial shot.

Rodrigues extended the lead to 6-2 at 6:26 of the third period with a wrist shot from the high slot.

Frederic made it 6-3 at 16:51 with a one-timer off a backhand pass from Justin Brazeau.

Pastrnak got the Bruins to within 6-4 with a power-play goal with 1:45 remaining. His intended pass from the left circle redirected five-hole off the skate of Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.

“The game was 4-1 after the first, so I am not too happy with that,” Korpisalo said. “There were a couple of weird bounces, but it was pretty hard to come back there. I just have to be better. It was 6-4. I’m not happy.”

NOTES: The Panthers announced after the game that they had signed forward Carter Verhaeghe to an eight-year contract. "Growing up, you’re just trying to make the NHL and try to find a place," Verhaeghe said. "And I think to be a Florida Panther for this long already is a huge honor for me. To even extend it longer, I mean ... I'm so proud to be a Panther for life." ... Panthers defenseman Adam Boqvist left the game at 15:24 of the first period after he appeared to take a puck off the jaw on a clearing attempt.