The Eastern Conference playoff matchups are now set, and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins will have a formidable opponent in the Florida Panthers. The series is set to kick off on Monday in Boston on the opening night of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins must put their record-setting regular season in their rearview mirror as they embark on their quest for the Cup. The Bruins ended their season on an eight-game winning streak, while the Panthers put together a six-game winning streak down the final stretch before dropping their last two games. Today, we take an in-depth look at the two Atlantic Division foes’ first-round matchup in what will be a tough first test for the heavily favored Bruins.
Bruins vs. Panthers Season Series
Through four meetings against the Bruins, the Panthers were one of only two teams (Ottawa Senators) who were able to beat the Bruins twice this season. The two teams alternated wins in each of the four games they played against each other. Home ice may play a significant role in the series as both teams secured wins in their respective buildings during the season series.
The first meeting came early in the season, as the Bruins picked up a 5-3 win on Oct. 17. The game had no shortage of penalties handed out, with the Panthers taking five and the Bruins taking six minors. Boston jumped out to a 4-1 lead before the Panthers scored twice in the third period making things interesting. Jake DeBrusk ended the Panthers’ comeback effort with an empty-net goal to secure the victory for the Bruins. DeBrusk had a three-point night with two goals and one assist. Linus Ullmark turned away 38 of 41 shots against, as the Panthers outshot Boston, 41-33.
The Panthers picked up a 5-2 win in front of their home crowd on Nov. 23. Similar to their first meeting, the game was a penalty-filled affair, and special teams played a role in the outcome. Florida went three for seven, while the Bruins went two for six on the power play. Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad each had one goal, and two assists to lead the Panthers to victory. Spencer Knight had a strong performance in the Panthers’ net with 37 saves on 39 shots. Jeremy Swayman started for the Bruins, allowing four goals on 30 shots faced.
The Bruins dominated the third meeting, winning the game by a score of 7-3. Patrice Bergeron had a four-point game with two goals and two assists. Once again, Boston jumped out to a big lead, scoring the first four goals of the game before the Panthers answered back with three goals of their own. Ullmark had another strong performance stopping 36 of 39 shots. Knight took the loss for the Panthers.
The fourth and final meeting during the season series required overtime to decide the winner. The Panthers secured the 4-3 win on home ice, with Sam Reinhart scoring the overtime winner. The game was tightly contested and had a wild finish in the dying moments. David Pastrnak put the Bruins ahead with just 49 seconds left in regulation before Barkov tied the game 46 seconds later to force overtime. Swayman started for the Bruins, allowing four goals on 37 shots. Alex Lyon was the starting goalie for the Panthers and made 37 saves on 40 shots.
In each game, the Panthers showed they could play with the juggernaut Bruins and could come back when trailing. They outshot the Bruins 147-132 over the season series, and it’s fair to say that the Panthers gave Boston their most challenging time out of all 31 opponents throughout the regular season.
Key Panthers’ Players To Watch
Both teams are gifted offensively as the Bruins finished the regular season ranking second in goals for (3.67 per game), while the Panthers finished sixth (3.51). Although the Bruins come in as the favorites, plenty of key players from both teams can dictate the outcome of a game or potentially the series. The Panthers had three key cogs that drove their offence this season and a breakout year from defenseman Brandon Montour on the blue line.
Following their second-round exit from last season’s playoffs, the Panthers made a blockbuster deal and acquired Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames. In his first season playing with the club, he didn’t disappoint, scoring 40 goals and 69 assists for 109 points. It marked the second consecutive season that he has hit the 100-point mark. He also is a massive pest on the ice and is not one to shy away from the physical side of the game. He piled up 123 penalty minutes in 79 games this season and will become the Bruins’ public enemy number one during the best-of-seven series.
While playing with the Flames for the early part of his career, his games have been limited against the Bruins. In 14 career games against Boston, he has five goals and 10 assists, including a goal and four assists in the four games played this season.
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The Panthers’ captain, Barkov, always shows up when playing against the Bruins; in 27 games, he has nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points. This season, he played in only three of the four games and averaged two points per game with two goals and four assists. Barkov was a Selke Trophy finalist in each of the past two seasons. He will play a significant role in the Panthers’ attempt at shutting down the Bruins’ high-powered offence. The 27-year-old has six goals and 15 assists with 26 career playoff games under his belt.
Another forward the Bruins will need to contain is Carter Verhaeghe. He led the Panthers offensively during the playoffs last season with six goals and six assists in 10 games. In addition, he followed that up with his most successful regular season to date by scoring 42 goals and 31 assists for 73 points in 81 games. He has one goal and two assists in nine career games against the Bruins.
The Panthers’ defence can also chip in offensively, and none more so than Montour. He nearly doubled his previous career high (37) in points this season with 16 goals and 57 assists for 73 points in 81 games. In addition, he picked up a team-leading 30 assists on the power play while leading the Panthers in average time on ice (TOI), logging 24:07 per game. Some other notable players from the Panthers include Reinhart, Anthony Duclair (who missed most of the season due to injury), and Sam Bennett.
Key Bruins’ Players To Watch
As mentioned above, the Bruins finished the season as the second-highest-scoring team in the NHL, and they get their offence by the committee as their depth has been an enormous surplus all season. The Panthers will have their hands full trying to shut the Bruins down, as any of their lines can provide the offence required to secure a victory any night.
Pastrnak had a historic season on the franchise level, becoming just the second Bruins player to score 60 goals or more in a single season. He finished his outstanding year with 61 goals and 52 assists for 113 points. In 27 career games against the Panthers, he has 22 points, scoring 12 goals and 10 assists. Pastrnak found the back of the net four times through the four meetings this season. He has been a big-time player for the Bruins during the playoffs, with 30 goals and 44 assists in 70 career postseason games.
Many Bruins players had career years this season, including Pastrnak’s linemate and fellow Czech, Pavel Zacha. The Bruins acquired Zacha from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Erik Haula. The former sixth-overall draft pick set new career highs this season with 21 goals and 36 assists for 57 points. The Panthers held him off the scoresheet in the season series. However, he has been playing his best hockey down the final stretch of the season, centering Pastrnak and Tyler Bertuzzi while David Krejci was nursing some nagging injuries ahead of the postseason.
Speaking of Krejci, head coach Jim Montgomery said, “He’s a playoff only guy, that’s what he told me,” and went on to say, “He’ll be ready [for Game 1],” prior to the Bruins’ trip to Montreal for their season finale. Krejci has always been a playoff guy for the Bruins; through 156 career playoff games, he has 42 goals and 82 assists for 124 points. Krejci maintaining his career playoff production will be a considerable asset that the Bruins missed last season when the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated them in the first round.
The “Czech-mate” line will be just one line for the Panthers to contend with, as they still have the trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and DeBrusk to deal with. Bergeron has also been nursing injuries and opted to sit out of some games down the final stretch. However, the Bruins captain is an absolute warrior, and there is no doubt that he will be there, night in and night out, to lead his team through the series. He has played 65 career games against the Panthers and has posted impressive numbers scoring 28 goals and 30 assists for 58 points. Marchand has been equally threatening over his career against Florida with 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points in 46 games.
Goaltending Matchup
It’s no secret that the Bruins have also boasted the best tandem in the NHL this season, as Ullmark and Swayman were recently awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals against. However, the question remains on what Montgomery will do with his goaltenders as the duo split nearly the entirety of the regular season. When asked in late March about his playoff goaltending situation, he said, “Most likely Linus is going to start the first game. Then we’ll see how it goes from game to game. I’m not going to commit to anything beyond Game 1.”
Barring a poor performance or a dreaded injury setback from the Vezina Trophy frontrunner, Ullmark, it would be surprising to see the Bruins continue to rotate their goaltenders through the playoffs; the Swedish netminder led the NHL in wins (40), goals-against average (GAA) 1.89 and save percentage (SV%) .938. He also was spectacular in his two starts, while Swayman lost in both of his starts against the Panthers during the season series.
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The Panthers enter the postseason with a bit of a goalie fiasco on their hands. Their massive investment in Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t gone as planned. Through four years with the Panthers, he has posted the worst numbers of his career (2.97 GAA, .905 SV%), including tenures with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. With Spencer Knight entering the NHLPA Players Assistance Program, an unexpected goaltender, Alex Lyon, stepped up for the club.
Lyon has been leaned on heavily down the stretch as the Panthers’ battled to clinch a postseason berth. The career minor leaguer/backup goaltender played in 15 games this season, posting a 9-4-2 record with a 2.89 GAA and .912 SV%. However, he has minimal NHL experience, and one has to wonder if he can handle the pressures of an NHL playoff series. With Knight remaining out indefinitely, the Panthers may be forced to turn to Bobrovsky, who posted a poor 24-20-3 record this season with a 3.07 GAA and a .901 SV%, should Lyon falter in the early stages of the series.
Bobrovsky has also played in the playoffs against the Bruins, during his time with the Blue Jackets in 2019 and with the Flyers in 2011. The Russian has a 2-10 record against the Bruins in the playoffs and has struggled against them throughout his career during regular season play. He has posted a 3.72 GAA and a .895 SV% during 17 regular-season games and a 2.77 GAA and a .913 SV% through 10 playoff starts against the Bruins.
Matchup By The Numbers
The Bruins hold the edge in nearly every statistical category over the Panthers. While both teams have a potent offence, they are further separated on the defensive side of the ice. The Bruins allowed the fewest goals against in the league, while the Panthers ranked 21st, averaging 3.32 goals against per game. With puck possession being a significant component of a winning recipe, the Bruins often take possession off the faceoff as they boast the second-best faceoff percentage (54.5 percent) compared to the Panthers, who ranked 21st with 48.9 percent.
Regarding special teams, the Panthers ranked 23rd compared to the Bruins’ number-one-ranked penalty kill. The Panthers, however, hold the edge on the power play as they had the 10th ranked power play, and the Bruins ranked 12th this season. Special teams could also play a major factor in the series, with both teams being highly penalized. Florida averaged 12.2 penalty minutes per game, while Boston averaged 10.5.
When it comes to the physicality department, the Bruins piled up more hits (1,925) than the Panthers (1,755) throughout the regular season. They were also more prone to sacrificing their bodies to block shots than the Panthers were, with 1,146 blocks compared to the Panthers’ 1,064. Connor Clifton led the Bruins with 208 hits, while Radko Gudas led the Panthers, dishing out 312 hits this season.
The Bruins have a vast level of playoff experience on their roster compared to the Panthers. The Bruins skaters have 1,252 games of playoff experience, while the Panthers skaters have 655, including Patric Hornqvist’s 106 career playoff games. Bergeron leads the Bruins with 167 career playoff games and sits just 13 games behind legendary Bruins’ defenceman Ray Bourque for the all-time franchise lead with 180.
Series Outlook
Although they enter with the so-called “Presidents’ Trophy curse,” and the first round will be no walk in the park by any means, the Bruins should be able to take care of business and move past the Panthers. This Bruins team is too good in all areas of the game, and with the type of leadership that Bergeron, Krejci and Marchand exhibit, they will prove to be too much to handle for the Panthers. Additionally, that leadership will be vital in not allowing the agitating Tkachuk to get into the Bruins’ heads. Of course, when it comes to agitating, the Bruins also might have the best in the league with Marchand, but with the additions of Garnet Hathaway and Tyler Bertuzzi, this team can get under their opponents’ skin.
Although the regular season was remarkable, Boston must clean the slate and continue to do what they’ve done all year. Take each game one period at a time and put together full 60-minute efforts against the Panthers. I wouldn’t expect the Bruins to sweep the series, as a hard-fought, six-game series seems more likely to be in the works. It all starts Monday night, with puck drop slated for 7:30 ET. Be sure to tune into what will be a highly entertaining first-round matchup!
