Bruins Eliminated From Stanley Cup Playoffs as NHL Fans Hype Panthers vs. Rangers ECF

Julia StumbaughMay 18, 2024

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 17: Sam Reinhart #13, Gustav Forsling #42 and Anton Lundell #15 of the Florida Panthers celebrate the third-period goal against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on May 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

For the second straight season, the Boston Bruins' season ended with a loss to the Florida Panthers at TD Garden.

Gustav Forsling scored with less than two minutes left in regulation to lead the Panthers to a series-clinching 2-1 victory in Friday night's Game 6.

B/R Open Ice @BR_OpenIce
FORSLING GIVES THE PANTHERS THE LEAD WITH 1.5 MINUTES LEFT 😱 <a href="https://t.co/Xls57uXOHm">pic.twitter.com/Xls57uXOHm</a>

The Panthers also eliminated the Bruins from the 2023 postseason by winning in Game 7 overtime.

This time Forsling ended the series in six games. He finished the game with five shots, the last of which was enough to eliminate the Bruins.

Mike Bartner @MikeBartner
Hard to not root for a guy like Forsling, from waivers in 2021 to a $40+ mill deal and scoring massive goals.

Alex Chauvancy @AlexC_NJD
Forsling is so good, man. What a find by the Cats

The Panthers will now advance to face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Rangers will have home ice advantage after rallying back from a two-goal third-period deficit Thursday to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

Sonny D @SonnyDoney97
Panthers/Rangers is gonna be the series to watch no matter who wins in the second round of the west. lol.

your favorite sandwich @PodStreetHoags
Rangers and Panthers will be an entertaining Eastern Conference Finals.

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Benny Barclay @3rdAndBen
they're gonna write stories about this Panthers/Rangers we're bouta see

keith @keithboerker
Panthers Rangers is gonna be electric

After making 22 stops against the Bruins in Game 6, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will now face off against Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin in the next round.

tOSU State of Mind @bucks3317
Igor Olegovich Shesterkin vs Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky with a trip to the cup on the line wheww 🍿

Buck Foston @otto_maddux
To get to the Cup, the Panthers have to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy Jeremy Swayman Igor Shesterkin Insanity.

Meanwhile Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who was a key reason Boston advanced past the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, finished the loss having turned aside 26 shots.

The Bruins' focus will now turn toward negotiating a new deal with Swayman, who is now a restricted free agent.

FF Dash @Dxshinn
The crowd chanting Swayman rightfully so he was lights out <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLBruins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLBruins</a>

grace (sport mode) @GRobs_Boston
the only real bruins loss of this season would be not signing jeremy swayman to a lifetime contract for whatever amount of money he wants

The Panthers have the weekend off to celebrate before beginning the battle to return to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

Meanwhile the Rangers are seeking their first Final trip since 2014 as they welcome the Panthers to New York for Wednesday's Game 1. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.