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BOSTON (AP) -- The Florida Panthers are playing well at the right time -- the stretch run to the playoffs.
They overcame the Boston Bruins' defensive style and a 1-0 deficit for a 3-1 victory Thursday night to gave them back-to-back victories for the first time in 21 games.
|  | | Ken Belanger and the Bruins tripped over the Panthers in their bid for a playoff berth. |
"None of us could remember when we did that last," said Mark Parrish, who tied it at 5:57 of the third period. "We wanted to definitely get that going and get on a bit of a string."
The Panthers ended their five-game road trip with a 3-2 record and, with 88 points, moved to within four of Southeast Division leader Washington. If the Panthers win the division, they would get one of the top three seeds in the East.
"We are going into a territory that is uncharted for a lot of players on our hockey club," Florida coach Terry Murray said.
Mike Vernon solidified his probable role as Florida's playoff goalie over Trevor Kidd by stopping 32 shots.
"Any time you are on the road and tied after two (periods), you are doing well," Vernon said. "We have let things slip away late in the game at times this year."
They haven't done that in their last two games, overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat the New York Rangers 4-3 Tuesday, then scoring the last three goals Thursday.
After two scoreless periods, Cameron Mann gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 4:12 of the third, but Parrish and Cam Stewart scored 2:51 apart, and Pavel Bure added an empty-netter, his NHL-leading 52nd goal, with 1:02 to play.
Boston had won four of its previous six games, but the loss left it six points behind Buffalo for the final playoff spot in the East with eight games left.
"What we did the last five or six games, we have to be able to do for an 82-game schedule," Bruins coach Pat Burns said. "We had enough chances to win the game."
The Bruins held Bure, who led the NHL with 321 shots, without a shot until five minutes remained in the second. Then they got careless.
"It was us playing our system and sticking too it, and them loosening up a little," Parrish said.
Stewart's ninth goal of the season at 8:48 of the third period was set up by Scott Mellanby, who beat Andre Savage to the puck behind the Boston net and carried it out to the right of goalie John Grahame. Mellanby passed across the slot to Stewart, who tipped it into the open left side.
Mann nearly tied it, but his shot hit the post with 3:52 remaining.
"I knew I had a good chance," he said. "It's just one of those plays that I'd like to have back and try it again, but I can't."
He got the game's first goal on a short back-hander between Vernon's legs. It was Mann's third goal in his last six games and sixth in 24 games this season.
But less than two minutes later, Parrish tied it with his 24th goal. Again, the play began behind the Bruins net as Viktor Kozlov carried the puck out and shot from the circle to the right of Grahame. He stopped it, but Parrish swept in the rebound. In a 5-1 victory over Boston on Feb. 12, Parrish had two goals and an assist.
His goal Thursday ended Boston's shutout streak at 106 minutes, 26 seconds.
The first 40 minutes were a defensive stalemate as Vernon stopped 19 shots and Grahame 16.
The Panthers played their second straight game without Peter Worrell, who suffered headaches, dizziness and nausea after being hit on the helmet with a stick by New Jersey's Scott Niedermayer on Sunday night. Niedermayer was suspended for 10 games.
But Worrell, known more as an enforcer than a scorer, may have been held out of Thursday's game because the Bruins don't play a physical style.
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NHL Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
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Florida 3
Boston 1
Buffalo 4
Calgary 2
Ottawa 3
Toronto 2
Los Angeles 3
Philadelphia 2
Washington 4
NY Rangers 1
Detroit 6
Nashville 3
Colorado 4
Phoenix 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mike Vernon denies Sergei Samsonov the goal.
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