Swayman delivers on vow, Bruins top Panthers 2-1 in Game 5 to stave off elimination

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Swayman said the series would return to Boston. And he backed up that claim in a big way.

Swayman made 28 saves, Charlie McAvoy added to the list of disputed goals in this matchup with the go-ahead score and the Bruins staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 5 of their NHL playoff series on Tuesday night.

The biggest stop of Swayman's night might have been his last: He stoned Florida's Sam Reinhart from close range with about 8 seconds left, and the Bruins — just as he vowed — left Florida winners.

“We have a goaltender that’s extremely confident," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “His swagger gives confidence.”

Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 2-0 in elimination games this season — they also won a Game 7 over Toronto in Round 1 — and finally found a way to hold the Panthers’ offense in check.

Reinhart scored for Florida, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots. The Panthers had just four shots in the first, then got 25 to Swayman in the final 40 minutes.

“We had our missed opportunities," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "There's a losing coach's line: ‘We had our chances.’ I didn’t like our game. But I like the fact that from where we were in the first, we got into a much, much better place in the second and third.”

Florida — which saw its series lead cut to 3-2 — had 15 goals on 107 shots in Games 2, 3 and 4 combined, all of them Panthers wins. But on Tuesday, the Panthers were held to 29 shots and Swayman looked in total control the whole way.

Game 6 is in Boston on Friday. Game 7, if necessary, would be back in Florida on Sunday.

“The reality is that we’re going to go to Florida and we’re going to play the same game and we’re going to get it done,” Swayman said after Game 4. “I have no doubt in this group. And we have a lot of confidence and a lot of motivation to bring it back to Boston.”

It’s going back to Boston.

“I just can’t thank my mentors enough for showing me the way and replacing that word 'nervous' with ‘excited’ and just being me and embracing moments," Swayman said after Game 5. "That’s when I find the most enjoyment, truly living it to the absolute fullest. And I couldn’t be happier.”

Bobrovsky was pulled with 3:05 left, Florida going 6-on-5 in an effort to tie the game but managed to get only three pucks to Swayman the rest of the way.

The Bruins played the second straight game without their captain and leading scorer Brad Marchand, who hasn't been on the ice since late in the second period of Game 3 because of what Boston is calling an upper-body injury. He was hit by Florida's Sam Bennett and wound up leaving that game, a play that the Bruins said was dirty and has only added to the intensity of the series.

Marchand was at the game, his jersey was hanging in his locker and he gave his team pep talks between periods.

“We know what he means to this group,” McAvoy said. “We didn't say die. We wanted to see this thing go back to Boston and give him a chance to get right and hopefully be back.”

Down 1-0 in the second, Maurice gathered his team around the Florida bench during a TV timeout and used that stoppage in play to get some thoughts out — at high volume. Red-faced by the time his rant was over, Maurice was pointing animatedly and had the attention of everyone from players to assistant coaches to even the team's equipment staff.

“I thought they needed some profanity in their life, and I brought some," Maurice said.

Message received. Only 11 seconds after play resumed, Reinhart lifted a rebound past Swayman to tie the game at 1-1.

“It seemed to turn our game around a little bit,” Reinhart said of the Maurice rant.

But Boston had the lead again when the second period ended, after McAvoy scored a goal midway through the frame where Florida — just like the Bruins did on a big goal for the Panthers in Game 4 — claimed interference. Boston's Danton Heinen made contact with Bobrovsky with his stick, but NHL officials in Toronto said it wasn't enough to take the goal off the board.

“Tonight was our best game in the series,” Montgomery said.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Boston Bruins players celebrate after the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 during Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) and Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) battle for the puck during the first period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman makes a save during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) attempts a shot at Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins center Danton Heinen (43) and Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman looks back as a shot from Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (not shown) goes into the goal during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) attempts a shot at Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) scores against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins left wing Pat Maroon (61) Florida Panthers right wing Kyle Okposo (8) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, rear, battle for position in front of the net during the first period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (52) collides with Florida Panthers center Kevin Stenlund (82) and right wing Kyle Okposo (8) during the first period of Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Boston Bruins goaltenders Jeremy Swayman, left, and Linus Ullmark celebrate after the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 during Game 5 of the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algerians voted Saturday in an election to decide whether army-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune gets another term in office — five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power.

There is little suspense about the result with Tebboune expected to win easily. The question is more about how many voters cast ballots.

Tebboune said after voting that he hoped “whoever wins will continue on the path towards a point of no return in the construction of democracy.”

Polls closed late Saturday and vote counting was underway as Algerians awaited an announcement of the results. The country's election authority at 12:10 a.m. said that vote counting to so far suggested voter turnout was 48% in Algeria and 19.6% for precincts abroad — outpacing the country’s 2019 presidential election, where 39.9% of voters turned out to vote.

It's unclear whether Tebboune will consider such a figure a triumph. In the lead-up to Saturday, his backers and rivals all urged Algerians to come out and vote after boycotts and high abstention rates in previous elections marred the government's ability to claim popular support.

Algeria is Africa's largest country by area and, with almost 45 million people, it's the continent's second most populous after South Africa to hold presidential elections in 2024 — a year in which more than 50 elections are being held worldwide, encompassing more than half the world's population.

The campaign — rescheduled earlier this year to take place during North Africa's hot summer — was characterized by apathy from the population, which continues to be plagued by a high cost of living and drought that brought water shortages to some parts of the country.

“Uncle Tebboune," as his campaign called the 78-year-old, was elected in December 2019 after nearly a year of weekly “Hirak” demonstrations demanding the resignation of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Their demands were met when Bouteflika resigned and was replaced by an interim government of his former allies, which called for elections later in the year.

Protesters opposed holding elections so soon, fearing the candidates running that year were close to the old regime and would derail dreams of a civilian-led, non-military state. Tebboune, a former prime minister seen as close to the military, won. But his victory was stained by boycotts and election day tumult.

Throughout his tenure, Tebboune has used oil and gas revenue to boost some social benefits — including unemployment insurance as well as public wages and pensions — to calm discontent. To cement his legitimacy, Tebboune hopes more of the country's 24 million eligible voters participate in Saturday's election than in his first election when only 39.9% voted.

Many Algerians remain unconvinced that elections will usher in change.

Activists and international organizations, including Amnesty International, have railed against how authorities continue prosecuting those involved in opposition parties, media organizations and civil society groups.

Some have denounced this election as a rubber stamp exercise that can only entrench the status quo.

“Algerians don’t give a damn about this bogus election,” said former Hirak leader Hakim Addad, who was banned from participating in politics three years ago. “The political crisis will persist as long as the regime remains in place. The Hirak has spoken.”

Twenty-six candidates submitted preliminary paperwork to run in the election, although only two were ultimately approved to challenge Tebboune.

Both avoided directly criticizing Tebboune on the campaign trail and, like the incumbent, emphasized election participation.

Abdelali Hassani Cherif, a 57-year-old head of the Islamist party Movement of Society for Peace, made populist appeals to Algerian youth, running on the slogan “Opportunity!” Youcef Aouchiche, a 41-year-old former journalist running with the Socialist Forces Front, or FFS, campaigned on a “vision for tomorrow.”

Both challengers and their parties risked losing backing from supporters who thought they were selling out by giving the impression the election was democratic and contested.

Walking near a vote center in downtown Algiers, longtime FFS supporter Mhand Kasdi said his party had betrayed its ideals by putting forth a candidate for the first time since 1999.

“It is giving its backing to a rigged election,” the 55-year-old gas station manager said, adding that Aouchiche and Hassani “are going to help make the regime's candidate look good."

Voting in his hometown Saturday, Aouchiche called on Algerians to vote for him “to give young people the confidence to put an end to the despair that drives them to take the boats of death in an attempt to reach the other side of the Mediterranean,” referring to those who migrate to Europe.

Andrew Farrand, the Middle East and North Africa director at the geopolitical risk consultancy Horizon Engage, said both challengers were looking more at the 2025 legislative elections than this 2024 presidential contest. Because Algerian law funds political parties based on the number of seats they win in legislative elections, they hope campaigning now positions them for a strong 2025 performance.

“It’s a long game: How can I mobilize my base? How can I build up a campaign machine? And how can I get into the good graces of the authorities so that I can be in a position to increase my seats?” he said. “We’ve seen that in their choice not to overtly criticize president … paired with a very strong message to Algerians to come out and vote.”

Presidential candidate of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), Abdelali Hassani Cherif, prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Presidential candidate of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), Abdelali Hassani Cherif, prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Presidential candidate and leader of the FFS party, Youcef Aouchich, casts his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. (AP Photo)

Algerian president and candidate for re-election Abdelmajid Tebboune speaks after casting his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo)

Election officials wait for voters inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter prepares to cast her ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Ballots showing presidential candidates inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A ballot showing Algerian president and candidate for re-election Abdelmajid Tebboune, inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Ballots showing the three presidential candidates are placed on a table inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

A voter prepares to cast her ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Election officials wait for voters inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A voter poses for a photo with her inked finger after casting her ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

CORRECTS DATE - A voter prepares to cast his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential election, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

A man walks past electoral banners of presidential candidate, including President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, center, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

Algerian president and candidate for re-election Abdelmajid Tebboune delivers a speech during his campaign for the upcoming presidential election, in Oran, Algeria, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Str)