Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman couldn’t close the deal on a second straight elimination game.

Florida defenseman Gustav Forsling flicked home a rebound inside the near post at 18:27 of the third with the game winner in the Panthers’ 2-1 victory in the deciding Game 6 on Friday night at the TD Garden.

“I didn’t see it,” said Swayman. “I wish that I had put the rebound in a better spot and I didn’t see the release of the second shot. There was a hole there obviously and it was unacceptable.”

Swayman brought the series back to Boston with a 28-save effort in a 2-1 elimination game victory over the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., last Tuesday. The Panthers eliminated the Bruins from the Stanley Cup playoffs in consecutive seasons and will face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Swayman will be restricted free agent with arbitration rights, but he made it clear after the game his heart is in Boston.

“I told these guys in the locker room after that I never loved a team more, especially at the pro level when guys all have their own lives and their own families,” said Swayman.

“Every one of these guys took the initiative to come to the rink every day and make this our family. I don’t think there are many locker rooms in the world that have that. I think we should celebrate the fact that every day when we come to the locker room that everyone has each other’s backs away from the rink and at the rink.”

The Bruins swarmed all over Panthers’ goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in the opening segment with four answered shots, but the momentum shifted against Swayman during a Boston power play. Swayman defused a fast developing two-on-one situation set in motion by Sam Reinhart on a rush through the neutral zone. Swayman stayed in the moment and stoned Kevin Stenlund’s bid from the right circle at 3:38.

Swayman made three straight saves from a variety of angles. He stopped Forsling’s wrist shot from the left circle, Brandon Montour’s bomb from the right point and a nifty wraparound at the right post by center Anton Lundell at 12:13.

The Panthers exited the first period with a 9-7 edge in shots on goal, bout Boston led 1-0 on Pavel Zacha’s first of the playoffs at 19:07.

“Jeremy Swayman was terrific,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. “Night in and night out he gave us an opportunity to win every night making incredible saves. His competitiveness was something our players and our team and our bench fed off of.”

The Bruins bench put Swayman in harm’s way when the team was flagged for their seventh too many men on the ice infraction of the playoffs. The vaunted Panthers power play manufactured several scoring chances from close range but could not produce the equalizer. The penalty had expired when Swayman made a glove stop on Matthew Tkachuk’s rocket from the right circle at 5:30. During the brief reprieve, the Bruins fans began serenading their goalie with chants of “Swayman, Swayman.” He would hear that refrain again as he exited the ice after the game.

“It was huge, I couldn’t have been more grateful to have a city, to have a home base that is as supportive as Boston,” said Swayman. “It means so much more than fans to me, it’s is truly a home for me now.

“To hear that was above and beyond and I am so grateful for all the love and support. We wouldn’t be here without them and that was an incredible moment to be a part of.”

The game got tighter as the period cross the midway mark of the second. Swayman made another signature save on Montour’s one timer through traffic from the high slot at 12:10. Florida eventually found the mark when center Anton Lundell tied the game 1-1 with his second of the playoffs unassisted at 12:44.  Swayman managed a third Panthers’ power play and exited the second with 11 saves in the period and 20 for the game.

Swayman’s puck luck came into play in the opening minute of the third. Montour fired another bomb from the right point that Reinhart tipped off the post and slid perilously across the crease. Judging from Swayman’s immediate reaction, he thought it was a goal.