Swayman delivers on vow, Bruins top Panthers 2-1 in Game 5 to stave off elimination

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Swayman said the series would return to Boston. And he backed up that claim in a big way.

Swayman made 28 saves, Charlie McAvoy added to the list of disputed goals in this matchup with the go-ahead score and the Bruins staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 5 of their NHL playoff series on Tuesday night.

The biggest stop of Swayman's night might have been his last: He stoned Florida's Sam Reinhart from close range with about 8 seconds left, and the Bruins — just as he vowed — left Florida winners.

“We have a goaltender that’s extremely confident," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “His swagger gives confidence.”

Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 2-0 in elimination games this season — they also won a Game 7 over Toronto in Round 1 — and finally found a way to hold the Panthers’ offense in check.

Reinhart scored for Florida, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots. The Panthers had just four shots in the first, then got 25 to Swayman in the final 40 minutes.

“We had our missed opportunities," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "There's a losing coach's line: ‘We had our chances.’ I didn’t like our game. But I like the fact that from where we were in the first, we got into a much, much better place in the second and third.”

Florida — which saw its series lead cut to 3-2 — had 15 goals on 107 shots in Games 2, 3 and 4 combined, all of them Panthers wins. But on Tuesday, the Panthers were held to 29 shots and Swayman looked in total control the whole way.

Game 6 is in Boston on Friday. Game 7, if necessary, would be back in Florida on Sunday.

“The reality is that we’re going to go to Florida and we’re going to play the same game and we’re going to get it done,” Swayman said after Game 4. “I have no doubt in this group. And we have a lot of confidence and a lot of motivation to bring it back to Boston.”

It’s going back to Boston.

“I just can’t thank my mentors enough for showing me the way and replacing that word 'nervous' with ‘excited’ and just being me and embracing moments," Swayman said after Game 5. "That’s when I find the most enjoyment, truly living it to the absolute fullest. And I couldn’t be happier.”

Bobrovsky was pulled with 3:05 left, Florida going 6-on-5 in an effort to tie the game but managed to get only three pucks to Swayman the rest of the way.

The Bruins played the second straight game without their captain and leading scorer Brad Marchand, who hasn't been on the ice since late in the second period of Game 3 because of what Boston is calling an upper-body injury. He was hit by Florida's Sam Bennett and wound up leaving that game, a play that the Bruins said was dirty and has only added to the intensity of the series.

Marchand was at the game, his jersey was hanging in his locker and he gave his team pep talks between periods.

“We know what he means to this group,” McAvoy said. “We didn't say die. We wanted to see this thing go back to Boston and give him a chance to get right and hopefully be back.”

Down 1-0 in the second, Maurice gathered his team around the Florida bench during a TV timeout and used that stoppage in play to get some thoughts out — at high volume. Red-faced by the time his rant was over, Maurice was pointing animatedly and had the attention of everyone from players to assistant coaches to even the team's equipment staff.

“I thought they needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some," Maurice said.

Message received. Only 11 seconds after play resumed, Reinhart lifted a rebound past Swayman to tie the game at 1-1.

“It seemed to turn our game around a little bit,” Reinhart said of the Maurice rant.

But Boston had the lead again when the second period ended, after McAvoy scored a goal midway through the frame where Florida — just like the Bruins did on a big goal for the Panthers in Game 4 — claimed interference. Boston's Danton Heinen made contact with Bobrovsky with his stick, but NHL officials in Toronto said it wasn't enough to take the goal off the board.

“Tonight was our best game in the series,” Montgomery said.

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

Boston Bruins players celebrate after the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 during Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) and Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) battle for the puck during the first period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman makes a save during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) attempts a shot at Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins center Danton Heinen (43) and Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman looks back as a shot from Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (not shown) goes into the goal during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) attempts a shot at Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) scores against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins left wing Pat Maroon (61) Florida Panthers right wing Kyle Okposo (8) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, rear, battle for position in front of the net during the first period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (52) collides with Florida Panthers center Kevin Stenlund (82) and right wing Kyle Okposo (8) during the first period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins goaltenders Jeremy Swayman, left, and Linus Ullmark celebrate after the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 during Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Lauren Coughlin held onto the lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson was derailed by closing bogeys at windy and smokey Earl Grey Golf Club.

Coughlin followed her opening 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions with a 70 on Friday to get to 6 under, a stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. The temperature made it into the 70s after barely climbing into the 60s on Thursday.

“I think I handled it really well overall,” Coughlin said. “It was just really difficult to judge how far the ball was going to go with the wind and the crosswind and how firm the greens got. And they had some tough pins, especially considering the direction of the wind.”

Playing through a smokey haze from wildfires, Henderson bogeyed the final four holes in her afternoon round for a 73 that left her seven strokes back at 1 over. She won the 2018 tournament.

“Most of the day I was 3 under, so feeling pretty great,” Henderson said. “To walk away 1 over, that’s not the best feeling. But all you can do is move forward and try to learn from some of the things you did out there.”

Coughlin is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions. The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

On Friday, she had three front-none birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 11th. In two rounds, she's 7 under on the first nine holes and 1 over on the second nine.

“I putted extremely well,” Coughlin said. “Two-putted really well all day. Took advantage of the front nine, which you have to, and then kind of hold on on the back nine.”

Green matched Coughlin with a 70. The Australian is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.

“It was tough again out there,” Green said. “There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult.”

Ryu bogeyed the 18th for 69.

“The weather is really bad,” Ryu said. “Is a little bit cold and so windy.”

The 23-year-old South Korean player won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title. She was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open.

Three-time champion Lydia Ko had a 71 to join second-ranked Lilia Vu (70) and Jennifer Kupcho (72) at 3 under. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.

“It’s not easy — and I think the scores are showing,” Ko said. “Anything kind of under par the past couple days is a really solid round. I’m pretty happy with the way I started this week.”

Kupcho topped the leaderboard at 8 under after birdieing five of the first eight holes in her morning round, then was 5 over the rest of the way. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four bogeys and a birdie on her final nine holes.

“I’m pretty upset,” Kupcho said. “I think in hindsight I still hit 15 greens. Like I was hitting the ball really good. Three-putted 10 and 11 and four-putted 16. I didn’t play bad. Just had a couple shaky putts down the stretch — and that’s going to happen.”

Lexi Thompson was in the group with Henderson tied for 26th at 1 over after a 73 The American plans to play a limited schedule after this season.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Lexi Thompson, of the United States, chips on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, lines up a putt on the fourteenth green during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

New Zealand's Lydia Ko hits a tee shot on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Korea's Haeran Ryu hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Brooke Henderson hits a tee shot on the second hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)