Panthers 2 - 0 Bruins
Final
  for this game

Panthers blank Bruins

Dec 9, 2011 - 5:02 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Jose Theodore recorded his second shutout of the season and Tomas Kopecky scored the game-winner with 2:32 remaining in the third period, as Florida downed Boston, 2-0, on Thursday.

Theodore stopped 40 shots to secure the 32nd shutout of his career. Kris Versteeg added an empty-netter for the Panthers, winners of three straight.

"I think today was a typical playoff game," Kopecky said of the atmosphere.

Tim Thomas made 28 saves for the Bruins, who have dropped two in a row after a 14-0-1 stretch.

They fell to Winnipeg, 2-1, on Tuesday, marking their first regulation loss since October 29.

Thomas did his part against Florida, stopping 20 shots over the first two periods, but Theodore was even better, making 26 saves over that span.

The Panthers finally broke through late in the third. Shawn Matthias fired a slap shot on a 2-on-2 break and Thomas made the initial save. But the Bruins failed to clear and the trailing Kopecky buried a high wrister.

Versteeg's empty-netter with 42 seconds left capped the scoring.

Despite battling the flu, Theodore notched his first shutout since a season- opening win over the Islanders on October 8.

"We just didn't play well enough... just made those little mistakes that cost the game at the end," said Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg.

Game Notes

This was the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bruins swept the Panthers a season ago...The Bruins were 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Panthers went 0-for-1.






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