3 KEYS BOS FLA GM 1 TUNE IN

(2A) Bruins at (1A) Panthers 

Eastern Conference Second Round, Game 1

8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers will continue their quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final and the Boston Bruins will look for revenge when they begin the Eastern Conference Second Round with Game 1 of the best-of-7 series at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

Florida overcame a 3-1 series deficit to upset Boston in seven games in the first round last season after the Bruins set NHL records with 135 points and 65 wins during the regular season. The Panthers went on to reach the Cup Final before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights and have been driven this season to return and finish the job.

After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, Florida must get past Boston again to move closer to its goal.

“We want to be in the Final again,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “That’s why it carried over to this year. We started working almost right away after the season and everyone came in great shape, ready to take that next step and we had a good regular season, good first round and now we want to keep going.”

The Bruins earned a rematch with the Panthers by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the first round. After letting a 3-1 series lead slip away, Boston rebounded to win 2-1 in overtime in Game 7 on Saturday.

The Bruins know from last season the difficult challenge they will face next, though.

“We learn from the past, but right now both teams are in different situations,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “It’s not Round One; Round One is wild, wild West. Round Two, people settle in more into who the teams are and their identity, and that’s what’s going to determine the success of whoever prevails in this series, is going to be the team that can get to their identity.”

The Panthers (52-24-6) won their final four regular-season games to edge the Bruins (47-20-15), who lost three of their final four, for first in the Atlantic Division by one point. Boston won all four games between the teams during the regular season, including two in overtime.

Here are 3 keys for Game 1:

1. Swayman vs. Bobrovsky

Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky are each capable of being difference-makers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Although Montgomery left the door open for Linus Ullmark to play in the series, it appears Swayman will start Game 1 after he did not allow more than two goals in any of the six games he played in the first round and was 4-2 with a 1.49 goals-against average and .950 save percentage.

“You can see confidence that he has and that only gives us confidence as well just to play in front of him,” Bruins center Charlie Coyle said. “… This is a team that likes to get to the net and find their way, so we want to make sure we limit them, their chances, be tough on them, box out, all that good type of stuff, the details, and let ‘Sway’ see the puck a little more. But we know he’s always there and he gives us so much confidence to play in front of him.”

Bobrovsky was 4-1 with a 2.78 GAA and .896 save percentage in the first round after being voted a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie for the third time (won in 2012-13 and 2016-17). He was 36-17-4 with a 2.37 GAA, .915 save percentage and tied for the NHL lead with six shutouts in 58 regular-season games.

2. Rested vs. riding high

Florida hasn’t played in a week since advancing with a 6-1 win against Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the first round on April 29. So, the Panthers will be well rested but might be rusty and not at the same level emotionally as the Bruins.

Boston will jump into this series riding a wave of emotion after its overtime win in Game 7 on Saturday, but could be worn down physically after a long, grueling series against Toronto.

“They’ve got a rhythm advantage,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Obviously, they just came off their own high. I’ve been on both sides of that. I’ve come off Game 7s and lost Game 1 and come off Game 7 and won Game 1. So, we have our advantage. We’re fairly rested. All of the small bumps and bruises that we had are gone. They’ll be back after the first period tomorrow for both teams.”

3. Center depth

For different reasons, neither team is as strong down the middle as it was in the playoffs last season. Whichever manages it better could have an edge.

The Panthers will play at least Game 1 without Sam Bennett, who has been sidelined since Game 2 against the Lightning because of an apparent hand injury, but he could return later in the series. In Bennett’s absence, Anton Lundell has moved up from the third line to take Bennett’s place as Florida’s second-line center. Lundell had a solid first round with four assists in five games and will need to continue to produce.

Coyle and Pavel Zacha did an admirable job filling the Bruins top two center spots this season after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. But Coyle (two assists) and Zacha (two assists) each struggled in the first round, and Zacha was shifted to left wing in Game 7 with Morgan Geekie replacing him at center on the line with David Pastrnak. Third-line center Trent Frederic was one of Boston’s best players against Toronto with three goals in the series.

Bruins projected lineup

Pavel Zacha -- Morgan Geekie -- David Pastrnak

Brad Marchand -- Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk

James van Riemsdyk -- Trent Frederic -- Justin Brazeau

John Beecher -- Patrick Brown -- Pat Maroon

Mason Lohrei -- Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Carlo

Parker Wotherspoon -- Kevin Shattenkirk

Jeremy Swayman

Linus Ullmark

Scratched: Jesper Boqvist, Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk, Jakub Lauko, Michael DiPietro

Injured: Andrew Peeke (upper body), Danton Heinen (undisclosed)

Panthers projected lineup

Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Matthew Tkachuk

Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Sam Reinhart

Vladimir Tarasenko -- Kevin Stenlund -- Evan Rodrigues

Nick Cousins -- Steven Lorentz -- Kyle Okposo

Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola -- Brandon Montour

Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Dmitry Kulikov

Sergei Bobrovsky

Anthony Stolarz

Scratched: Ryan Lomberg, Tobias Bjornfot, Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, Jonah Gadjovich, Spencer Knight, Rasmus Asplund, Mike Benning, Magnus Hellberg, Matt Kiersted, Will Lockwood, Mackie Samoskevich, Justin Sourdif

Injured: Sam Bennett (upper body)

Status report

Carlo missed the Bruins’ morning skate for the birth of his son, but coach Jim Montgomery said he’s “very hopeful” Carlo will arrive in time to play. If he doesn’t, it appears Forbort will take his place. … It appears Brown, who was called up from Providence of the American Hockey League on Sunday, will take Boqvist’s place as the fourth-line center. … Heinen, a center, and Peeke, a defenseman, skated again Monday; Montgomery said “they’re getting closer” but will remain out for Game 1.  … Florida coach Paul Maurice ruled out Bennett, a center, for Game 1; he is day to day with an apparent hand injury sustained in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. … Lomberg, a forward, has been out since Game 1 of the first round due to an illness. He has been practicing since Game 4 but will not play Monday.