SUNRISE, Fla. — All Justin Brazeau needed was a chance.
Such an opportunity presented itself as he gathered a puck near center ice at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday night. With only Sergei Bobrovsky in front of him, the 26-year-old forward switched on the afterburners.
Using his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame to shield the puck from defenseman Aaron Ekblad, Brazeau out-muscled the blueliner to the outside as he glided into the crease. Bobrovsky’s slide to right was in vain, as Brazeau’s array of dekes ended with a puck sliding past the goal line — and a first career playoff goal added to his resume.