In the two-month slog of the Stanley Cup playoffs, euphoria can last less than 48 hours. Reality comes at you fast.
The Bruins have to come down from a most exhilarating Game 7 overtime win over Toronto to face their new nemesis, the Florida Panthers. The B’s are getting a second shot at the Panthers after the Cats ruined their dream season last year.
But it’s no do-over for our locals. While most of the key players from Florida are still there, nearly half the players are gone from the B‘s 65-win team, including a couple of foundational ones.
The B’s managed to win all four contests against the Panthers in the regular season, but it would be foolish to put too much stock in regular-season victories over the Panthers. Florida is a team that, with its heavy forecheck and a swagger not unlike the Bruins team of a decade ago, is built for the playoffs.
The teams are cast in somewhat different roles this time around. Last season, the B’s coasted into the top spot in the playoffs while the Panthers had to fight until the last week of the season to get in. The differing mentalities showed once the puck was dropped for the series.
This year, the Panthers had a relatively easy time of it against in-state rival Tampa Bay in the first round while the B’s stared down the barrel of another Game 7 against the Maple Leafs in OT.
And something can be said for contemplating your own mortality. In the three previous times the B’s beat the Leafs in a Game 7, they’ve gone on to the Stanley Cup Finals twice (2013, 2019).
If they do that again, it would be an upset. But we shall see. Here’s how the lineups looked the last each team was on the ice:
BRUINS
Morgan Geekie-Charlie Coyle-Brad Marchand
Jake DeBrusk-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk-Trent Frederic-Justin Brazeau
John Beecher-Jesper Boqvist-Pat Maroon
Extra: Jakub Lauko, Danton Heinen
PANTHERS
Vladimir Tarasenko-Sasha Barkov-Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe-Anton Lundell-Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen-Kevin Stenlund-Evan Rodrigues
Nick Cousins-Steven Lorentz-Kyle Okposo
Extra: Sam Bennett, Ryan Lomberg, Jonah Gadjovich
THE SKINNY—Sam Reinhart made the most of his contract season, pumping in a career-high 57 goals in the regular season and then three more in the gentleman’s sweep of the Lightning. Sasha Barkov could own the Selke for a while now that Patrice Bergeron has retired, and Carter Verhaeghe is lethal in between the dots. And, oh yeah, there’s Matthew Tkachuk, who managed 88 points while driving opponents crazy. If they can get Sam Bennett back, the Panthers will have a formidable attack. In the first round series, they averaged four goals a game on the estimable Andrei Vasilevskiy. Meanwhile, goalscoring has been an off-and-on bugaboo for the B’s and it lack offensive punch nearly cost them the first round series against Toronto. We’ll see if his OT winner will unlock David Pastrnak’s brilliance. The B’s need more production from top two centers Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha.
THE EDGE — Panthers
BRUINS
Mason Lohrei-Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo
Kevin Shattenkirk-Parker Wotherspoon
Extras: Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk, Andrew Peeke
PANTHERS
Gustav Forsling-Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola-Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larson-Dmitry Kulikov
Extras: Josh Mahura, Uvis Balinskis, Tobias Bjornfot
THE SKINNY—The Panthers were tied for tops in the league in goals against (2.41) and third in shot suppression (27.8) in the regular season. And they’ve got a little pop from the back end as well, with Gustav Forsling, Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larson combining for 27 goals in the regular season. The 6-foot-5 Niko Mikkola covers a lot of ice for Florida. The B’s have been a little more reliant on their goalies but they’ve gotten it done, finishing fifth in goals against (2.70), though they were 22nd in shots allowed (30.5). Charlie McAvoy had a career-high in goals, but he was also at the scene of the crime in some big goals against in the Toronto series. Lindholm and Carlo have been a good shutdown pair when together while the third pairing is up in the air, especially with a possible return. Mason Lohrei grew exponentially in the first round, but it will be fascinating to see how he handles the crucible of the Florida forecheck. The rugged Peeke could help somewhere along the way.
THE EDGE — Panthers
BRUINS
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
PANTHERS
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
THE SKINNY—Bobrovsky had a good enough season to be a Vezina finalist. He also took over in net in last year’s series and backstopped the Panthers to the shocking upset of the B’s. He didn’t make every save in that series, though he made a couple of timely ones. But he hasn’t been great against the B’s in his career. In fact, he’s been pretty bad, posting a 4-11-4 mark with a save percentage of. 891 and a 3.62 GAA.
Swayman was great against the Leafs, but he hasn’t been all that in his small sample size in his career against Florida (1-1-1, .875, 3.69 GAA). But being the competitor that he is, you know he’d love to avenge his Game 7 loss to the Panthers last year.
The B’s do have an option, however. Ullmark may been the forgotten man in the first round, but he’s been excellent against the Panthers in his career. He wore down physically in last year’s series, but Ullmark has a career 12-3-1 record with a .929 save percentage with a 2.47 GAA. This year, he went 3-0, .947 save percentage, 1.62 GAA.
THE EDGE — Bruins
The B’s had massive problems on the power play down the stretch to the point which it was overhauled in the last week of the season. It worked. They went 6-for-17 against the Maple Leafs and it was a major reason why they jumped out to a 3-1 series lead. Another was their penalty kill, which stifled the Leafs’ power play, allowing just one goal on 21 chances.
The Panthers, meanwhile, allowed four goals on 20 chances to the Bolts and scored just three goals on 13 chances on the power play while coughing up a shorty. Reinhart is a bit of a secret weapon on the kill, having scored five shorthanded goals in the regular season.
With their in-your-face style, the Panthers are bound to be fairly generous in putting their opposition on the PP. The B’s, meanwhile, have to keep their penchant for stick fouls in check.
The EDGE — Bruins
BRUINS
Jim Montgomery
PANTHERS
Paul Maurice
THE SKINNY—We all know the story of last year’s head-to-head matchup. The Bruins won an NHL record 65 games in the regular season and had a 3-1 series lead on a Florida team that barely made the playoffs. And lost, in the most painful of ways. Montgomery has already been questioned in the first round series with his substitutions in the complexion-changing Game 5 loss, and it was eventually extended to seven games. Meanwhile, Maurice’s Panthers didn’t squander the same chance, steamrolling their in-state rival Lightning in five games.
THE EDGE — Panthers.
It takes a long time to live down blowing a 3-1 series lead. There’s no doubt Tkachuk will remind the B’s of it in the nightly scrums.
THE EDGE — Panthers
THE PICK — Panthers in 6.