3 Keys: Panthers at Bruins, Game 5 of Eastern 1st Round

(WC2) Panthers at (A1) Bruins
Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5
Boston leads best-of-7 series, 3-1
7 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS, NESN, BSFL

BOSTON --The Boston Bruins are one victory from advancing to the Eastern Conference Second Round.
After winning Games 3 and 4 at FLA Live Arena, the Bruins lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 with a chance to close out the Florida Panthers in Game 5 at TD Garden
They could have top-line center Patrice Bergeron back. Boston's captain has missed the first four games of the series because of an upper-body injury.
"We came together and we played a really, really solid Game 3," Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark said. "It's going to be like every game is a new opportunity to shine and show what you're made of. We know there's going to be a lot on the line] for them as well. They're on the brink of elimination. We're just trying to close it out here at the Garden."
The Panthers are trying to ensure the opposite happens and the series returns Florida for Game 6 on Friday.
***[RELATED: [Complete Bruins vs. Panthers series coverage]*
"It'll be a mental opportunity," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "Elimination games, especially Game 7s, there's a certain freedom mentally in that there's a finite result here. If you win that game you get to keep playing. You're not saving it. You're not worried about your last shift, you're not worried about a mistake that you made. It's all about what you can grab."
So far, the home team has won once in this series: Boston's 3-1 victory in Game 1 at TD Garden. The road team has won Games 2, 3 and 4.
Teams that take a 3-1 lead are 299-31 (90.6 percent) winning a best-of-7 series in the playoffs, including 3-1 last season.
Here are 3 keys for Game 5:

1. Welcoming Bergeron back

Just because the Bruins likely could get Bergeron back -- he's a game-time decision -- doesn't make for an automatic win. It certainly will help, but the Bruins need to make sure they don't take their foot off the gas just because their captain is penciled into the lineup.
Boston upped its play in Games 3 and 4 in Florida, playing without Bergeron and center David Krejci (upper body), who was a late scratch before Game 3. The Bruins will need that same play even with Bergeron in.
"I think we all know what he means to us," Coyle said. "Having him around in the locker room, playing, it's huge and it's only a boost for us to have him back, what he brings on the ice, his leadership, just everything."

2. Staying disciplined

This goes for both teams, though particularly for the Panthers.
Game 4 got especially chippy, with misconducts in the third period to Ullmark and Panthers forward Sam Bennett, and a fine to forward Matthew Tkachuk for a cross-check on Boston forward Garnet Hathaway at the end of the first period.
Florida can't afford to have its players in and out of the penalty box.
"We just have to be a little smarter, myself included," Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said. "I took a penalty the other night, but it's just one of those things where 5-on-5, the games are even or we liked our game there especially, but it comes down to special teams. These are the times when we got to step up and make big plays and be difference-makers and the guys in this room will do that."

3. Aaron's in

Aaron Ekblad collided with Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in Game 3, causing the Panthers defenseman to miss the third period of that game and all of Game 4 because of an upper-body injury. But he's expected back in Game 5.
"We missed Aaron so much on the penalty kill, especially because where we had been good early, and we weren't last game, was off the rush, defending the rush," Maurice said. "And just his range, the stick, his ability to hold the line. You saw it on basically two rush power-play goals (allowed) in a lot of ways. We missed him there for sure."
The Bruins scored twice on the power play in Game 4.
Ekblad had 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) and averaged 23:24 of ice time in 71 games during the regular season.

Panthers projected lineup

Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk
Ryan Lomberg -- Anton Lundell -- Anthony Duclair
Nick Cousins -- Eric Staal -- Colin White
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal -- Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura -- Radko Gudas
Alex Lyon
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: Zac Dalpe, Mike Benning, Casey Fitzgerald, Evan Fitzpatrick
Injured: Patric Hornqvist (concussion)

Bruins projected lineup

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jake DeBrusk
Tyler Bertuzzi -- Pavel Zacha -- David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall -- Charlie Coyle -- Nick Foligno
Jakub Lauko -- Tomas Nosek -- Garnet Hathaway
Matt Grzelcyk -- Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort -- Dmitry Orlov
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
Scratched: Jakub Zboril, Brandon Bussi , Connor Clifton, Trent Frederic, A.J. Greer
Injured: David Krejci (upper body)

Status report

Duclair will join Ekblad in returning for the Panthers, Maurice said. ... Maurice said "everybody's a game-time [decision]," including Bennett and Lomberg; neither practiced Tuesday for undisclosed reasons.
NHL.com independent correspondent Joe Pohoryles contributed to this report