Milan Lucic has gotten the better of Roberto Luongo before.
On Tuesday, the Boston Bruins power forward did it again, scoring with a wrist shot that beat Luongo with 1:09 remaining in regulation to give his team a 3-2 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers, who desperately needed a win and two points.
The Panthers entered the third period with the lead but gave up two goals in the final 10:13 of play, as David Pastrnak scored to tie the game, before Lucic did the damage with his winner. It’s a crucial win for Boston. It’s a devastating loss for Florida.
The Panthers had the chance, with a regulation win, to move within two points of the Bruins, holders of the final Wild Card spot in the East. Instead, the Bruins now pull six points ahead of the Panthers. Both teams have just five games remaining on their respective schedules.