Florida Panthers Ready to Just Come Home, Baby

The Florida Panthers had a rough go of it on their first road trip of the season, playing four games in six days and not winning a single one of ‘em.

They are feeling a lot better about this trip after Tuesday night.

And, as Steve Goldstein might say, they’re ready to come home.

Baby.

“Everybody just wants to go home,” Maurice said after a strange 4-3 win over the host Boston Bruins that snapped a four-game slide.

“You build your road endurance over the course of the year, but the first road trip, especially when it is as long as this one, everyone just wants to go home.”

The Panthers were both in control of their game against the Bruins, and thisclose to losing their fifth straight.

Up 2-0 going into the third off goals from Mackie Samoskevich and A.J. Greer, Florida allowed a couple of Boston goals before Eetu Luostarinen gave the lead back midway through the period.

With goalie Jeremy Swayman on the bench allowing for the extra attacker, Boston tied the score at 3 when a hard shot from David Pastrnak found its way to the front of the net where Morgan Geekie put it home with 1:31 remaining.

Anything can happen in overtime, right?

Well something strange happened, just not in OT.

As the clock ran down, Carter Verhaeghe got loose coming through the zone and ripped a shot from the slot.

It was a nice shot, only it clanged off the cage.

The puck shot out where Andrew Peeke went to clear it up the ice … only the knuckling puck hit him in the right skate and went right back toward the net and in.

Tough bounce for the former Jr. Panthers defenseman from Parkland.

That came with just over 25 seconds left and led the Panthers to a victory — and sent Boston to its fifth straight loss.

“I didn’t see it go in,’’ Verhaeghe said, “but it was a nice feeling getting the lead late. That was an exciting game, back-and-forth at the end. Nice to get a win after a couple of losses.’’

The game, of course, was headlined by Brad Marchand’s return to Boston following last season’s trade and subsequent long-term contract extension with the Panthers.

Marchand helped get the Panthers going by playing a big role in Samoskevich’s early power play goal — Florida’s first in four games.

Greer made it 2-0 early in the second, and it looked like the Panthers had everything under control.

Only the Bruins came back and made the Panthers earn a win, even if the game-winner was a tad unconventional.

“I thought our first two periods were really good but then we got into some trouble once we started overthinking the game too much,” Greer said.

“I’ll take responsibility for their first goal, I made a bad play behind the net. … To stay positive and get another one, yeah, it’s a bad bounce, but we have been working really hard at getting to the right place.

“Great way to end the road trip.”

ON DECK: GAME No. 9

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise 
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Season Series — At Florida: Thursday. At Pittsburgh: April 4, April 5.
• Last Season: Panthers won 2-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Penguins lead 57-39-9, 4 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 6 p.m.