The Bruins will look to exact some revenge against a Panthers team that ended their season in 2023-24.
The Bruins and Panthers are set for a postseason collision course once again.
After David Pastrnak and the Bruins emerged victorious against the Maple Leafs in Game 7 on Saturday, Boston will catch a flight down to South Florida Sunday afternoon and steel itself for a second-round bout against a familiar foe.
Game 1 between the Bruins and Panthers is set for 8 p.m. on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Florida punched its ticket to the second round after extinguishing the Lightning in five games during their first-round matchup.
“I watched the first round, they absolutely dominated,” Brad Marchand said of Florida after Saturday’s Game 7 win. “They’re a very, very difficult matchup. So another opportunity to be excited about it and a great challenge ahead of us.”
The Bruins will be looking to exact revenge against the Panthers, who shredded Boston’s record-setting, storybook season last spring by upsetting them in the first round of the playoffs.
Here’s what you need to know about the Bruins’ second-round opponent: Florida’s offense revolves around a bruising forecheck, shots from blue line
As Bruins fans watching last postseason can certainly attest to, the Panthers are at their best when they’re throwing their weight around and creating chaos on the forecheck — and peppering goalies from the high slot thanks to aggressive blueliners.
With the pugnacious Matthew Tkachuk (nine points in five playoff games already) leading the way, the Panthers generate quality chances around netminders by forcing turnovers in Grade-A ice, pressuring puck carriers and capitalizing off the chaos that ensues when putting opponents under duress.
Over the course of their five-game series with Tampa Bay, the Panthers led 10-5 in goals scored from high-danger areas, while five different Florida skaters logged at least 20 hits in that first-round bout with the Bolts.
