In the moments following the Florida Panthers 6-1 win over the Bruins in Game 2 on Wednesday night, Kevin Stenlund received the game puck and shouted ‘Let’s go to Boston!’
The Panthers are now in Boston and have a big challenge in front of them as they try to take the lead in this best-of-7 series for the first time.
Florida has won big games in Boston before, obviously, winning the final three playoff games played their last year.
After losing Game 1 of the first round, the Panthers won Game 2; down 3-1, Florida returned to Boston and won Game 5 — and then won the series there in overtime in Game 7.
“It is kind of fun when you are on the road and everyone is against you,” said Carter Verhaeghe, who scored that series-winner last April. “It’s just the guys here in the room.”
Florida coach Paul Maurice said Florida is not thinking about those Boston wins from last year, but his team does not come into this city muttering how they never win there, either.
Confidence will not mean a thing when the game starts tonight just after 7.
And the Bruins want to take the series lead back, as well.
— Sam Bennett will be a game-time decision, Maurice said. After skating with the healthy scratch forwards in line rushes Friday morning, Maurice said Bennett will take warm-ups and a decision will be made afterward.
— Pat Maroon says the Bruins need to be “pissed off” coming into tonight’s game.
— Starting goalies: Florida will have Sergei Bobrovsky; it looks like Jeremy Swayman will return for the Bruins.
— Parkland’s Andrew Peeke, who had been out with an injury, is expected to return to the lineup on Boston’s third defensive pairing.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
FLORIDA PANTHERS (ATL1) V. BOSTON BRUINS (ATL2)
BEST-OF-7 SERIES TIED 1-1
GAME 3
- When: Friday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Boston Garden
- National TV: TNT
- Streaming: HBO Max
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL app
- Local Betting Odds — Panthers Favored: Money Line (-125); Puck line (-1.5, +200); Over/Under 5.5 (-105/-120). Series Florida -170
- Series Schedule — Game 1: Bruins 5, Panthers 1; Game 2: Panthers 6, Bruins 1; Game 3: Friday at Boston, 7 (TNT); Game 4: Sunday at Boston, 6:30 (TBS); Game 5: Tuesday at Florida, 7 (ESPN); Game 6*:Friday May 17 at Boston, TBA; Game 7*: Sunday May 19 at Florida TBA. (*) – If Necessary
- How They Got Here: Florida d. Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1; Boston d. Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3
- Florida’s First Round — Game 1: Panthers 3, Tampa Bay 2; Game 2: Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 OT; Game 3: Panthers 5, Tampa Bay 3; Game 4: Tampa Bay 6, Panthers 3; Game 5: Panthers 6, Tampa Bay 1.
- Last Season vs. Boston — Regular Season: Tied 2-2; Playoffs: Florida won 4-3 (first-round)
- This Season (Bruins 4-0) — At Boston: Bruins 3, Panthers 2 OT (Oct.30); Bruins 3, Panthers 2 OT (Ap. 6). At Florida: Bruins 3, Panthers 1 (Nov. 22); Bruins 4, Panthers 3 (March 26).
- All-time Regular Season Series: Boston leads 64-37-7, 6 ties
- All-time Postseason Series: Florida leads 2-0 (1996 1st, 2023 1st)
PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (1-1) LINES
10 Vladimir Tarasenko // 16 Sasha Barkov // 13 Sam Reinhart
23 Carter Verhaeghe // 15 Anton Lundell // 19 Matthew Tkachuk
23 Eetu Luostarinen // 82 Kevin Stenlund // 17 Evan Rodrigues
21 Nick Cousins // 18 Steven Lorentz // 8 Kyle Okposo
42 Gus Forsling // 5 Aaron Ekblad
77 Niko Mikkola // 62 Brandon Montour
91 Oliver Ekman-Larsson // 7 Dmitry Kulikov
72 Sergei Bobrovsky
41 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, Patrick Giles
Injured: Sam Bennett (upper body)
PROJECTED BOSTON BRUINS (1-1) LINES
18 Pavel Zacha // 39 Morgan Geekie // 88 David Pastrnak
63 Brad Marchand // 13 Charlie Coyle // 74 Jake DeBrusk
21 James van Riemsdyk // 11 Trent Frederic // 55 Justin Brazeau
XX Jakub Lauko // XX John Beecher // 61 Pat Maroon
6 Mason Lohrei // 73 Charlie McAvoy
27 Hampus Lindholm // 25 Brandon Carlo
28 Derek Forbort // XX Andrew Peeke
1 Jeremy Swayman
35 Linus Ullmark
Scratched: Parker Wotherspoon, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jesper Boqvist, Michael DiPietro
Injured: Danton Heinen (undisclosed)
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