Aleksander Barkov scores twice, Panthers rout Bruins 6-1 in Game 2 to tie series

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida showed some fight, then got in some fights. And the Panthers were thrilled by all the outcomes.

Aleksander Barkov had two goals and two assists, Sam Reinhart added four assists and the Panthers beat the Boston Bruins 6-1 on Wednesday night to tie the second-round series at a game apiece.

Brandon Montour had a goal and two assists, and Steven Lorentz, Gustav Forsling and Eetu Luostarinen also scored for Florida. The Panthers chased Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman early in the third period after four straight goals, then added two more against Linus Ullmark.

“We did what we wanted to do,” Barkov said.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 14 saves for the Panthers. The five-goal margin matched Florida's biggest in a playoff game, tying the mark set against Tampa Bay in another 6-1 victory April 29.

Charlie Coyle had the goal for the Bruins, who lost to Florida for the first time in six meetings this season. The series shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday night.

And it's a series now — 146 penalty minutes getting handed out in the third period after multiple dustups created a narrative that will carry into Friday, highlighted by Florida's Matthew Tkachuk getting several shots in on Boston's David Pastrnak in a star-on-star showdown with the game already out of hand.

“You have two elite offensive players ... it gets a little spicy out there and they wanted to go,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “I thought it was awesome. When it was over, they both looked like they were fine. Sorry if anyone's offended by that concept. I don't care. I thought it was awesome.”

Pastrnak and Tkachuk both got 10-minute misconducts — making them the last two of 12 players to leave the game early because of scrums and scuffles.

“You had the spillovers in the third period because we did have emotion,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “A little undisciplined, but that's part of playoff hockey.”

The Bruins felt like Tkachuk got an unnecessary shot or two in during the quick tussle with Pastrnak. Pastrnak's reaction: “I'm not a very experienced fighter. I fell down. It's on me.”

After the first 20 minutes, Florida was simply dominant. They didn't even allow Boston a single shot on goal for a stretch of more than 16 minutes of game time, 53 minutes of actual time. Parker Wotherspoon sent the puck the full length of the ice with 5:08 left in the second, credited as a shot since it was right at Bobrovsky. The Bruins didn't get another shot until Wotherspoon had one with 8:57 left in the third.

Swayman — who basically split time with Linus Ullmark during the regular season, getting 43 starts to Ullmark's 39 — made his seventh consecutive start, the longest such run for a Boston goalie since Tuukka Rask made 11 straight starts to end the 2021-22 season.

Swayman did not make it to the finish, after Florida finally solved him in the second period. Swayman stopped 19 of 23 shots, his playoff goals-against average going from 1.42 to 1.81.

“Swayman was terrific,” Montgomery said. “I thought about taking him out at 3-1, going into the third. And when the fourth goal went in, I was like, ‘Well, I’m taking him out now.' He made two great saves before it went in.”

Boston had not allowed more than one goal in any period so far in these playoffs and hadn't given up three in a period in nearly two months — not since the New York Rangers struck for three in the third of a game on March 21, two of those being empty-netters. The Bruins hadn't had a three-goals-allowed period with an actual goalie in net since March 16 against Philadelphia.

But the Panthers found a way. Lorentz tied it, Barkov scored off a rebound to make it 2-1 and then Forsling played beat-the-clock to push the lead to 3-1.

Montour got his glove on the puck to keep in a clearing attempt from the Bruins with about 7 seconds left. His shot from the right point sailed wide, Anton Lundell controlled the bounce off the end boards and found Forsling's blast from the left side with 1.3 seconds left got past Swayman.

“You can't stop what you can't see and that goes for any goalie in the world,” Lorentz said. “He's obviously a heck of a goalie and he's played some great hockey here lately.”

The momentum carried into the third. It took Florida just 1:28 to make it 4-1, with Barkov setting up Luostarinen from in close for an easy one. That was the end of Swayman's night, and the Panthers kept pouring it on from there.

“If you paid money to come to the rink tonight, you had a hell of a night,” Maurice said.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman watches the puck during the second period in Game 2 of the team's second-round series against the Florida Panthers in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers fans celebrate after the Panthers scored a goal against the Boston Bruins during the second period in Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour celebrates after Steven Lorentz scored a goal against the Boston Bruins during the second period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends against Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the first period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers center Evan Rodrigues (17), Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort, center, and center Jesper Boqvist (70) go for the puck during the second period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The puck gets past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) on a goal by Florida Panthers center Steven Lorentz (18) during the second period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends against Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the first period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The puck gets past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman on a goal by Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov during the second period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) skates with the puck as Florida Panthers center Kevin Stenlund (82) defends during the first period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins during the second period of Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MIAMI (AP) — Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor each drove in two runs in a four-run first inning, star closer Edwin Díaz was not used in a save situation and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday for just their second win in seven games.

Brandon Nimmo homered and Francisco Lindor singled twice following a 1-for-27 skid as the Mets rebounded from blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Saturday and avoided a three-game sweep. New York stopped Miami’s four-game winning streak.

“You’re not defined by what you do the day before. You’re defined by how you get up from adversity,” Lindor said. “We wanted this one for sure. I think it’s important to win after a tough loss like that.”

Sean Manaea (3-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Sean Reid-Foley and Jake Diekman pitched an inning each, and Reed Garrett got his second save by allowing one hit over two innings with four strikeouts in a 34-pitch outing.

Díaz has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances after serving up four homers in 8 1/3 innings. He has blown three of his last four save chances.

“We all believe in him. We all know he’s going to be back,” Garrett said. “Whenever my name’s called, I’ll pitch, but I know as a collective unit we all believe in Edwin and we know what he can do.”

New York (21-25) had dropped five games under .500 on Saturday for the first time since an 0-5 start.

“Not an easy weekend, not the way we expected, but we just have to continue to move forward,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a huge win for us.”

With New York ahead 4-3, Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Anthony Bender in a three-run ninth that included Brett Baty’s RBI single.

“I was just looking for a good pitch in the middle of the plate to drive,” Nimmo said. “I was able to hit that ball — good launch angle — and hit it hard. Found its way out of the ballpark.”

Nimmo returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games because of a stomach illness.

“I’m coming around,” Nimmo said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey the last three days to get over the sickness. Right now, I’m just trying to get some appetite back. I’m definitely not at 100%. Just trying to battle through it and glad that I was able to help out there at the end and solidify the win.”

Dane Myers hit a two-run homer in the second, and Christian Bethancourt had a solo drive in the seventh against DIekman.

Sixto Sánchez (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He gave up Taylor’s two-out double in the first and Bader’s single.

“He was obviously better second through the fourth inning but he put us in a hole early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “At this level it’s hard to come back from four runs every single time. He’s not giving his teammates a chance to win.”

Miami recalled right-handed reliever Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (flu symptoms) didn’t play but was available to pinch hit. Mendoza said Martinez played through the illness the prior two days.

Marlins: INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) homered and had three singles in five at-bats during a rehab game with Jacksonville on Saturday, then went 0 for 4 with a walk on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday. RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians.

Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Milwaukee on Monday. The Brewers will go with RHP Joe Ross (2-4, 4.61).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Francisco Lindor (12) congratulate each other after they scored on a double by Tyrone Taylor, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is unable to catch a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell for a double, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Marlins third base Emmanuel Rivera, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader as he slides into third base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) catches a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell as both he and left fielder Tyrone Taylor (15) vie for the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett, right, and catcher Omar Narvaez celebrate after the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3, during a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)