5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 4, Bruins 3 (OT)

BOSTON -- The Bruins penned an incredible story throughout the regular season.

Looking nearly unbeatable since October, they set NHL records for wins (65) and points (135), won the Presidents Trophy, and cruised into the postseason on a 9-1-0 run. But after that story came to a stunning end on Sunday, their season will now always be associated with one word.

Upset.

Sending shockwaves throughout the NHL, the Panthers pulled off the improbable when they clawed back from a daunting 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the top-seeded Bruins with a wild 4-3 win in overtime at TD Garden in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

"They're the best team I've ever played against in my career," forward Matthew Tkachuk said following the massive win in enemy territory. "The fact that we beat them is crazy. … Nobody in the whole world thought that we were going to win this series except the guys in this room."

Far from done, the Panthers will now prepare to face the Maple Leafs in Round 2.

"It's two sides of the same coin," head coach Paul Maurice said. "On the one half, that was as emotional a win as our franchise ever had. You either say you're a little light in the tank, or you're still flying on those fumes. You're either coming out hot because you're still rolling, or you're gassed. Either way, Game 1 gets played and Game 2 will have nothing to do with Game 1."

For a quick recap of Game 7, click HERE.

To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. TKACHUK'S GUARANTEE

There's no doubt that Tkachuk was a beast against the Bruins.

But his biggest moment of the series actually came in the locker room.

After scoring the overtime goal in Game 4 to bring the series to 3-2 and help the Panthers keep their season alive, Tkachuk made a gutsy guarantee during the team's post-game celebration.

"Boys, remember this room," he said. "We'll be back here for seven."

Just a few days later, and having won Game 6 in Sunrise to get the series to 3-3, Tkachuk and his teammates were partying in that same locker room after upsetting the Bruins in Game 7.

Making history against an historically good team, the Panthers are just the second team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the league's Presidents' Trophy winner in the playoffs.

At the center of it all, Tkachuk tallied a team-high 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the series.

"He's been everything you can ask for with a primetime player," forward Eric Staal said of Tkachuk, who posted six points over the final three games. "He's a been a difference-maker throughout the whole season. Moments when we needed a goal or a win, he's come up big."

2. CARTER THE CLINCHER

Forget being Mr. Clutch, Carter Verhaeghe was once again Mr. Clinch.

Silencing TD Garden and sending Panthers fans back home into a frenzy, Verhaeghe provided the heroics in Game 7 when he collected a pass from Sam Bennett and ripped a shot past Jeremy Swayman, who was blinded by a screen from Tkachuk, to lock in the 4-3 win in the extra frame.

Of Verhaeghe's 10 career playoff goals, five have been game-winners.

"It just feels good to get the win, for sure," said Verhaeghe, who also scored the series-clinching goal for the Panthers against the Capitals in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2022. "The way we battled back through the series and even through this, it's been a ride in the first round."

Cracking the scoresheet in five games in the series, Verhaeghe finished tied for second on the team in scoring with eight points (two goals, six assists). Already earning a reputation for his stellar playoff prowess, he ranks second on Florida's all-time playoff points list with 23.

All of his eight points in the series came at even strength.

"He's a gamer," Video: FLA vs. BOS Game 7 Recap. "He's got that incredible shot and he shows up in big games at big moments. That's what good players do. He was awesome for us all series."

3. MAGIC FROM MONTOUR

The playoffs can often be a coming-out party for young players.

For Brandon Montour, this series was more of a re-introduction.

Turning heads around the NHL, the breakout defenseman scored a pair of goals in Game 7, with his second tally coming with just one minute left in regulation to make it 3-3 and force overtime.

"We knew what we had to do," Montour said. "It was the next man up."

On the heels of the highest-scoring season by a defenseman in franchise history, Montour, who amassed a career-high 73 points in 2022-23, did not slow down against Boston. In fact, his five goals in the series were the most-ever by a defenseman in any playoff series against the Bruins.

But those aren't his only milestones.

Montour became just the sixth player in NHL history to score a game-tying goal within the final minute of regulation in a Game 7. The first Panthers defenseman to ever score in a Game 7, he's also just the fifth defenseman in NHL history to ever find the back of the net twice in a Game 7.

At this point, if you see "history" and "defenseman" written somewhere, it's usually about Montour.

"Guys battled hard," said Montour, whose first goal in Game 7 broke the ice on the power play. "Anything can happen. Kudos to [the Bruins]. They had a heck of a season and a series. Game 7, like I said, anything can happen. The boys showed up tonight. I'm proud of this group."

4. BOB COMES UP BIG

If you want to beat an historically good team, just put Sergei Bobrovsky in net.

Not far removed from backstopping the Blue Jackets to a sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning in 2019, Bobrovsky slayed yet another giant in the Bruins. Entering the series in Game 4, he went on to lead the Panthers to three straight wins for another historic upset.

Bobrovsky's seven career playoff wins against teams with 60-plus wins are an NHL record.

"It's us," Bobrovsky said. "I really appreciate the opportunity. They had 20 warriors on the other side. We could've died instead of them. I just appreciate this moment that we're still alive."

Receiving a vote of confidence from Maurice, Bobrovsky looked cool, calm and collected after taking over for Alex Lyon -- another hero for the Panthers this season -- in net. In the series, Bobrovsky posted a .939% save percentage at 5-on-5 while making 24 high-danger saves.

Of his 139 saves against Boston, there's one that really stands out.

With the Panthers trailing 3-1 in the series and trying to avoid elimination in Game 5 at TD Garden, Bobrovsky denied Brad Marchand on a breakaway in the waning seconds of regulation to keep the score tied and force overtime.

The rest, as they say, is history.

"This is so much fun, for sure," Bobrovsky smiled.

5. HOW ABOUT REINO?

It's time to show Sam Reinhart a little extra love.

An unsung hero for the Panthers throughout Round 1, the high-scoring forward lit the lamp in each of the team's three wins to close out the series. In Game 7, he helped provide some early breathing room by sniping a shot past Swayman's glove to make it 2-0 in the second period.

That being said, it wasn't just his goals that impressed against Boston.

A good case study for the newfound playstyle of the Panthers, Reinhart also dished out 23 hits in the series, which ranked second to only Bennett (25) among the club's forwards. He also ranked second in faceoff wins with 40, with many of them coming in critical moments.

Despite not always earning headlines, Reinhart's steady play has been huge for the Cats.

"He has an incredible read of the game," Maurice said. "You think about a guy that maybe doesn't get around the ice as fast, but his game just keeps getting faster. He was incredibly effective. There's some grit there. He reminds me a little of Ray Whitney. He's got some bite, but he's very, very bright. He's always impressed me."