Game 1: Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC)
BOS moneyline: +130
FLA moneyline: -160
The Panthers won their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, scoring at least three goals in each, and are averaging the third-most goals per game (4.00) in the NHL this postseason. The Bruins, meanwhile, rank ninth in that category (2.57) and won all four regular-season games against the Panthers; Boston outscored Florida, 13-8, but three of those games had a goal differential of one. The Bruins have the best team save percentage in the playoffs (.944).
Forward Brad Marchand leads Boston with eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven playoff games and is in a four-way tie for its lead in goals with Trent Frederic, Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak. Florida forward Carter Verhaeghe is tied for the third-most goals in the NHL this postseason (five in five games) and has had at least three shots on goal in four straight games. Verhaeghe is tied with Matthew Tkachuk for the Panthers' most postseason points (nine each); that duo has seen time on the a new-look top line with center Aleksander Barkov, who had a three-point performance against the Lightning in the series-clinching Game 5.
Barkov and Sam Reinhart were tied for Florida's most points (four each; two goals, two assists) in the regular-season series against Boston. Bruins forward Pavel Zacha led them with five points (two goals, three assists) in the regular-season series; Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy also had a point per game (each had four in four games).
