SUNRISE, Fla. -- The team that posted the best regular-season record in NHL history, facing a team that needed to fight and claw all the way to the end just to get into the playoffs.

On paper, it was a mismatch.

On ice, it's going to Game 7.

The wild-card Florida Panthers -- by prevailing in an absolutely bonkers third period -- fended off elimination for the second time and sent the mighty Boston Bruins into a winner-take-all contest.

..."It's fun to be a part of this, for sure."-Alexsander Barkov

The real fun comes Sunday: Game 7 in Boston.

"I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

 Do you get it? A HEAD COACH saying he's going to "enjoy" a game 7--win or lose. That is rare, rare, rare in professional sports.

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Boston finished 42 points ahead of Florida in the standings this season, the biggest gap between playoff opponents in nearly 30 years. The Bruins had the best regular-season record in NHL history, and they had one-goal leads on two separate occasions in the third period -- and couldn't hold either one of them.

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The game started along the exact sequence that Game 5 in Boston did on Wednesday night: Florida took a 1-0 lead, Boston tied it, Florida took a 2-1 lead, Boston tied it, Florida took a 3-2 lead, Boston tied it.

Evidently, that's when the teams decided a repeat performance was boring.

They combined for four goals in a span of 6:56 -- this time, with the Panthers answering the Bruins.

"They're a determined group," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of Florida.

 Yes, they are.

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To Sunday they go, Florida on the brink of a surprise and Boston trying to avoid a collapse.

Florida has given Boston a tic, like the Miami 🔥have given Milwaukee a tic over the years. Florida has Boston spooked, confused, and doubting, just as 🍺was. For the "Panthers" this is all fun, but for the 🐻this is no fun, the pressure is all on them. That's what you want when you're in Florida's position. "The real fun comes Sunday."