Boston drops season opener against Panthers

The Boston Bruins hockey team is officially back, but unfortunately the season opener was an unforgettable evening for the team.

Boston lost to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 6-4 in the season opener at Amerant Bank Arena. It was the first time the Bruins lost their season opener since losing to the Washington Capitals in the 2018-2019 season.

The loss dropped the Bruins to 0-1 to start the season, while the Panthers improved to 1-0.

Check out the full box score here.

A LARGE TAKEAWAY
After raising their championship banner, the Panthers dealt a blow to the Bruins by taking a 2-0 lead before Boston recorded two shots on goal. The end result seemed much closer than the game itself.

It was difficult for Boston from the start, as Florida dominated the game from the first faceoff and took advantage of starting goaltender Joonas Korpisalo's lack of rebound control. Korpisalo stopped the first seven shots he faced before last season's playoff public enemy No. 1, Sam Bennett, found the net after Korpisalo made the first stop against Evan Rodrigues. Korpisalo stopped 29 shots in the loss.

Pavel Zacha scored the Bruins' first goal of the season, cutting the lead to 2-1. While Nikita Zadorov was in the penalty box for checking bad guy Matthew Tkachuk, Zacha scored his first shorthanded attempt while wearing the Spoked-B. Charlie McAvoy scored the Bruins' second goal at midfield, bringing Boston within three points, but never really threatening Florida's lead the rest of the game.

STARS OF THE GAME
– Zacha scored his sixth career shorthanded goal – his first in a Bruins uniform – to give him the first goal of the 2024-25 season. Last season, Zacha reached a career-high 21 goals and set a new record for points (59).

— McAvoy scored his first goal of the season in the second period. Last season, McAvoy scored 12 goals and 35 assists and led the Bruins' defensive corps with 47 points.

– Just over three minutes before the end of regular time, Trent Frederic scored his first goal of the season.

NEXT
The Bruins return to action on Thursday night with an Original Six matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. TD Garden puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game as well as an hour of pre-game coverage on NESN.