Need to Know: Bruins vs. Panthers | First Round

BOSTON - And now the real fun begins.
While the Bruins' magical 82-game regular-season slate was tough to top in terms of excitement, accomplishment, and enjoyment, the Black & Gold know that all of that is in the rearview mirror. The record number of victories and points, the individual accolades, and the regular-season crowns mean nothing now.
It's all back to square one.

"The record's zero-zero," Brad Marchand interjected on Sunday afternoon when a reporter asked what allowed the Bruins to have such an incredible regular season.
On Monday night, when the Bruins open up the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden, the quest begins anew.
"This is what everybody laces them up for," said Bruins president Cam Neely. "It's an exciting time here in Boston. I'm sure the city is going to be popping [Monday]."
Marchand said that "everyone knows the stakes" as Boston enters the postseason and that the Black & Gold must embrace the opportunity they have in front of them to complete something special.
"Everyone's really proud in this room and everybody dreams of the opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and everybody understands that," said Marchand. "They know what the stakes are. There's a long road to get to that point. Right now, it's still day to day and we don't want to change anything we've done all year, we just want to continue to prepare the same way. I think that's a great mentality for the guys to have and one we're focusing on.
"It's not every year that you have an opportunity to play for the Cup especially with the team that we have. It's great to get it going again. The regular season's one thing, you're playing for the opportunity to be in this position.
"You wait all year to have the playoffs start. It's what everyone wants to be a part of and looks forward to. It's exciting that we're starting [Monday]."

Take a closer look at the first-round matchup between the Bruins and Panthers:

All Lined Up

Here's how the Bruins lined it up at practice this weekend:
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Pavel Zacha - Jake DeBrusk
Tyler Bertuzzi - David Krejci - David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall - Charlie Coyle - Trent Frederic
Nick Foligno - Tomas Nosek - Garnet Hathaway
A.J. Greer - Jakub Lauko
DEFENSEMEN
Dmitry Orlov - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort - Connor Clifton
Jakub Zboril - Matt Grzelcyk
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
Patrice Bergeron was absent from both practices over the weekend with Bruins general manager Don Sweeney saying the captain is dealing with a combination of illness and injury.
"Taking an extra day again today," said Sweeney. "[His Game 1 status is] to be decided [Monday] - if he feels well enough, he'll play...Patrice doesn't need extra days of practice. If he feels better, he'll play."
If Bergeron is not able to suit up, the Bruins have faith that Pavel Zacha - fresh off a career-high 57-point campaign - can fill the void in the interim.
"A lot [of confidence]. With David [Krejci] coming back in to go back with his line, Pavel has assumed a lot of those responsibilities and he's handled it really well," said Sweeney. "We've played different games without Patrice this year and all those guys have stepped in, but that's to be decided. So, we're not focused on that.
"Obviously, Pavel gets some [practice] reps that's much needed to play with Jake and Brad because he hasn't played a lot with them and Charlie Coyle has moved around there as well, but that's not something we're overly concerned about at this point."

Neely added that the Bruins' depth has been one of its hallmarks all season long.
"We've shown it all year. We've had a lot of players in and out of the lineup this year," he said. "And the record speaks for itself. Our depth is as good as it's ever been."
Linus Ullmark was the lone roster goalie on the ice for Sunday's session with Jeremy Swayman missing the skate due to illness. Ullmark, who left last Tuesday's game against Washington in the third period and did not suit up for Thursday's regular-season finale in Montreal, did not seem to have any concerns with his health heading into the postseason.
"I'm doing great, thanks for asking…it was precautionary, nothing else than that," said Ullmark. "It shows what we've done throughout the year, it's not something that was a fluke. We've earned it. We put our bodies on the line throughout the season and we're going to continue to do that."
Marchand, meanwhile, was back on the ice Sunday morning after leaving Saturday's skate early.
"I feel good. Besides being old," Marchand quipped. "Get sore a little more frequently but feel good."

Opposing View

Projected Florida Lineup
FORWARDS
Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Matthew Tkachuk
Ryan Lomberg - Eric Staal - Sam Reinhart
Nick Cousins - Colin White - Givani Smith
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal - Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura - Radko Gudas
GOALIES
Alex Lyon
Sergei Bobrovsky
Per Panthers.com, captain Aleksander Barkov missed Sunday's practice in Florida for rest purposes.
The Panthers, last season's Presidents' Trophy winners, have a different makeup from a year ago after the offseason blockbuster that sent Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to Calgary in exchange for Tkachuk, who has instantly brought a combination of energy, passion, grit, and skill that is hard to find across the NHL.
Florida lost its final two games of the regular season but had won six in a row before that to help them secure the East's second wild card spot.
"They're a little different team than they were last year with the trade they made with Calgary," said Neely. "I think they got a little bit more grit and agitation up front. They've got a very good offensive team that we've got to be aware of and we've got to make sure that we are disciplined and stay out of the penalty box."
The Panthers ranked sixth in the league in scoring this season (3.51 goals per game), four spots below the Bruins (3.67). They were 10th on the power play (22.8), just ahead of Boston (22.2).
"I think we've always been committed to defense, and that's going to be an area we have to really focus on with that group," said Nick Foligno, who could be back in the lineup for Game 1 after missing just under two months with a lower-body injuy. "I mean, they're a special team…the way they can transition and get on the attack. So, stay true to our values, our process as a group. It's treated us well all season long and we have to make sure we stay with that. It's kind of the backbone of who we are."

Tkachuk led the Panthers with 40 goals and 109 points in 79 games, while Barkov (23-55-78), Carter Verhaeghe (42-31-73), and defenseman Brandon Montour (16-57-73) all hit the 70-point plateau. Sam Reinhart was not far behind with a line of 31-36-67 in 82 games.
Seven other players registered double-digits goals: Eetu Luostarinen, 17; Sam Bennett, 16; Aaron Ekblad, 14; Eric Staal, 14; Gustsav Forsling, 13; Anton Lundell, 12, Ryan Lomberg, 12. Bennett has been injured and may not be ready for Game 1, per media reports.
"You get to know the players they have and especially their first two lines…guys who are really good with the puck and can make those plays - and I don't want to say play risky but they take advantage of the opportunities and they're smart with it," said Charlie Coyle. "So, any little break down, any turnovers, they're coming right down your throat and they'll make you pay. So, those are things that we have to make sure we're clean with and make sure we're just responsible with the puck."
Coyle added that it will be important to try to hem the Panthers in their own zone to keep them off the attack as much as possible.
"That's a huge part of our game is protecting the puck and making sure we make it hard for them to get in our zone," said Coyle. "And I think we do that. We'll play more time down there and we put it behind them. Go get it. And as long as we're structured and we're tight there, we've got great support, a lot of talk, just the little details that make us successful, it's going to help.
"And I think everyone's on that same page. We really focus on our forechecking, work ethic down there and reloads and they get it by us. That's going to be huge to keep the puck in and our D to help out with that too.
"And that's when we make it harder on teams, so that's definitely a priority for us. And we try to do that no matter who we're playing against."
Alex Lyon is expected to get the call between the pipes for Florida. The 30-year-old did not play a game with the Panthers until Jan. 19 and eight of his 15 appearances came after March 29, a span in which he went 6-1-1. Lyon finished the season 9-4-2 with a 2.89 goals against average and .914 save percentage.

This Season

The Bruins and Panthers met four times during the regular season, winning two games apiece. Florida was one of two teams in the NHL (Ottawa) to beat Boston twice in 2022-23.
"It was pretty tight. You look at the four games, it was a real tight series," said B's coach Jim Montgomery. "Every game was tight. They're a good hockey team. They were in our shoes last year as Presidents' Trophy winners. And I think that since the All-Star break, the record is one of the top six teams in the league.
"And I think they're playing faster. And their transition offense is something that has been excellent for three years and continues to be so."
Oct. 17 at Boston - Bruins 5, Panthers 3
Jake DeBrusk scored twice while Patrice Bergeron picked up a goal and assist as the Bruins improved to 3-0. DeBrusk scored just 21 seconds in, before Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Trent Frederic added insurance markers. DeBrusk closed the scoring with an empty-netter.
Nov. 23 at Florida - Panthers 5, Bruins 2
The Bruins' seven-game winning streak was snapped with a 5-2 loss at FLA Live Arena. Boston, which fell to 17-3-0, surrendered three goals in the second period. Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak scored a power-play goal apiece in the loss.
Dec. 19 at Boston - Bruins 7, Panthers 3
Boston extended its season-opening home point streak to 19 games, while improving to 25-4-2 behind a four-point night from Bergeron (two goals, two assists). Linus Ullmark made 36 saves, while Brad Marchand notched three assists and Connor Clifton and Brandon Carlo pitched in a goal and assist each.
Jan. 28 at Florida - Panthers 4, Bruins 3 (OT)
In the teams' wildest meeting of the season, they traded goals in the final minute of the third period as Pastrnak gave Boston a 3-2 lead with 49 seconds remaining before Barkov tied it up with just three second left and the Florida net empty. Reinhart ended it for the Panthers just 17 seconds into overtime.
"They're a good team. They played us well this year," said Charlie Coyle. "They beat us a couple of times and we beat them a couple of times. So, it's going to be a great battle. It's not going to be easy by any means. It's just going to be a rough and tough series, and we're ready for it."

Video: Montgomery talks following practice at WIA

Postseason History

The clubs have met only once before in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a first-round matchup in 1996 that the Panthers won in five games. Florida outscored the Bruins, 22-16, during the series.
Game 1 | Bruins 3, Panthers 6
Game 2 | Bruins 2, Panthers 6
Game 3 | Panthers 4, Bruins 2
Game 4 | Panthers 2, Bruins 6
Game 5 | Bruins 3, Panthers 4
Fun Facts:

Series Schedule

Game 1:Monday, April 15 at TD Garden | 7:30 p.m. ET on NESN, ESPN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
Game 2:Wednesday, April 17 at TD Garden | 7:30 p.m. ET on NESN, ESPN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
Game 3:Friday, April 19 at FLA Live Arena | 7:30 p.m. ET on NESN, TNT, 98.5 The Sports Hub
Game 4:Sunday, April 23 at FLA Live Arena | 3:30 p.m. ET on NESN, TNT, 98.5 The Sports Hub
\Game 5:Wednesday, April 26 at TD Garden | TBD on NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
\Game 6:Friday, April 28 at FLA Live Arena | TBD on NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
\Game 7:Sunday, April 30 at TD Garden | TBD on NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
\if necessary