Boston Bruins – Florida Panthers – 1:2 (series score – 2-4)
The series opened with Florida as the perceived favorite over Boston, and initial rounds leaned into the Panthers’ advantage. A home defeat for Florida, 3-1, added pressure and set the stage for a hard-fought sixth game in New England. The Bruins had every opportunity to level the series on their home ice and push it toward a decisive seventh game, where anything can happen on the right night.
Boston found a lift with the return of their captain. Brad Marchand, sidelined for two games after a controversial moment involving Sam Bennett, logged more than 20 minutes on the ice in game six and delivered a shot on goal, signaling his impact on the tilt.
In the opening frame, Boston seized a chance during a physical stretch along the boards in the central zone. A tenacious win of puck possession allowed Jake DeBrusk to thread a precise pass to Pavel Zacha, who buried it from a difficult angle, beating Sergei Bobrovsky for his first playoff goal. The milestone came in the Czech forward’s 25th postseason appearance.
Nevertheless, the Bruins could not sustain the momentum. In the second period, tension mounted as Boston’s defensemen found themselves tangled in a tight situation at the far side of their own half. Anton Lundell seized the moment with a burst of speed, threading a shot through a crowd and past Jeremy Swayman to level the score.
The finale was decided late in the third, when Florida launched a blistering counterattack. Lundell again created pressure with a shot stopped by Linus Svechnikov, but Gustav Forsling hurried into an uncovered space near the near post, tucking the rebound behind the defender who stirred confusion in front of the goalie. The shot found a home in the goal area, sealing the Panthers’ advantage.
Forsling’s late strike marked a historic moment for the Panthers as the first defenseman in franchise history to clinch a series with a goal. The last defender to do something similar in the NHL was Cody Ceci for Edmonton in a 2022 game seven shutdown against Los Angeles.
Sergei Bobrovsky faced 22 of 23 shots in a standout playoff performance, earning his seventh career series win in the postseason. Among current goaltenders, only a handful have more playoff series wins, with Marc-Andre Fleury, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Jonathan Quick ranking ahead in career totals.
Looking ahead, the Eastern Conference final would see Florida’s Bobrovsky, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Dmitry Kulikov squaring off against the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin. The rivalry between these franchises has historical weight, with playoff meetings dating back to 1997 when the Rangers bested the Panthers in five games.
Colorado Avalanche – Dallas Stars – 1:2 2 overtime (series score – 2-4)
Colorado entered the pivotal clash with Colorado’s depth tested by the absence of Valery Nichushkin, who is navigating the NHL’s player assistance protocol for the third time this season. The Avalanche battled to keep the series alive in Denver, clinging to hope as Dallas pressed for a closing chapter.
The second period brought a power-play opportunity for Colorado, and Matt Duchene left the ice to capitalize on a man-advantage sequence. Cale Makar and Jonathan Drouin coordinated to set up Mikko Rantanen, who found the mark with calm precision.
Dallas answered early in the third with a veteran’s touch. The core group of experienced forwards reasserted itself, executing a well-orchestrated, three-line attack. Tyler Seguin initiated a move from the central zone to Evgeniy Dadonov, who fed Jamie Benn, and Benn finished past theColorado goaltender, tightening the game’s margins.
The game moved into overtime, where the teams traded chances and the tension rose as the clock wore on. A controversial offside decision paused Dallas’ momentum, but Duchene steadied the ship by delivering the deciding goal in the second overtime, sending Dallas to a crucial win and keeping their Stanley Cup hopes alive.
Western Conference action would shift to Edmonton for a showdown between Vancouver and the Oilers, with the Canucks holding a 3-2 series edge as the sixth game approached. The next meeting was scheduled to unfold in Edmonton on the night of May 19, Moscow time.