Montgomery shoulders blame as Bruins in 2-1 hole to Panthers - ESPN

BOSTON — Coach Jim Montgomery took responsibility for the Boston Bruins falling in a 2-1 series hole to the Florida Panthers after a 6-2 Game 3 loss Friday night at TD Garden.

«Our execution in the last two games has just not been good enough and that's my fault. I've got to be better,» Montgomery said.

In particular, the coach accepted blame for the Bruins' sluggish start in Game 3 that saw them outshot 13-3 in the first period and 24-8 by the time the Panthers had built a 3-0 lead in the second. It was a start that quieted a raucous Boston crowd.

«We've had a couple of games where we started slow,» Montgomery said. «We haven't generated much offense. I have to give the players a better plan. Florida was significantly better than us. I've got to come up with a better game plan.»

The Bruins didn't show any life until the third period, when center Jakub Lauko scored to cut the deficit to 4-1 and break a streak of 10 straight Panthers goals in the series. Boston got to within 4-2, but the Florida defense and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (15 saves) stopped the comeback.

Boston's late-game rally came after it lost captain Brad Marchand to an upper-body injury. Marchand skated eight shifts in the first period and seven in the second, amassing 10:51 in ice time before departing for good. He didn't register a shot on goal.

Montgomery said the Bruins will know more about their captain's status Saturday. But he said Marchand's absence might have served as inspiration for his players in the third period.

«I thought we rallied because of our captain,» he said. «I thought our players all elevated their games and we started competing like Brad Marchand would have.»

Defenseman Brandon Carlo said that winger David Pastrnak, defenseman