Recap: Florida vs. Boston
By Sports Network
Sunrise, FL (Sports Network) - Manny Fernandez logged his first shutout of the season and 15th of his career in stopping 27 shots as the Boston Bruins blanked the Florida Panthers, 4-0, at BankAtlantic Center.
Phil Kessel, Michael Ryder, Shane Hnidy and Blake Wheeler each found the back of the net for Boston, which notched its fourth straight win and eighth in its last nine games. David Krejci registered three assists.
The Bruins improved to 9-3-3 on the road this year with their lone setback in their last nine games coming in a road test versus Buffalo on November 26.
The Panthers had their three-game winning streak stopped with the loss with Craig Anderson allowing three goals on 27 shots before being pulled in favor of regular starter Tomas Vokoun, who gave up the fourth goal and made four saves.
Anderson has started each of Florida's last five games, going 3-2 over that stretch, keeping Vokoun on the bench until Saturday. Florida is now 6-4-2 at home and begins a five-game road trip in Ottawa on Monday.
A sensational individual effort from Ryder allowed Boston to take a 1-0 lead just shy of the midway point of the first. Boston broke out of its own end with Ryder taking a pass just inside the Florida zone. He cut toward the right circle from the boards and slid the puck through one defender's legs before snapping a rising shot that beat Anderson while a second defender was draped on top of him.
Fernandez stoned the Panthers' on their nine first-period shots.
Kessel gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead just 2:44 into the second with a power-play tally. Skating into the left circle from the point, he positioned his hard wrister to be screened as the disc sailed clear of a host of bodies to find the net.
Fernandez was again up to the task, stopping all 11 second-period shots from Florida.
Hnidy's shot from the right point sailed past an out of position Anderson just 2:21 into the third to provide a three-goal cushion and bring on Vokoun, who allowed Wheeler's ninth of the year with 6:24 remaining.
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