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Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins picked up a massive Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. However, they won’t have a chance to celebrate too much. Boston takes on the Florida Panthers in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday night.
This series is certainly a tale of “rest vs. rust.” The Bruins completed a grueling seven-game contest against one of their biggest Original Six rivals. Florida, meanwhile, hasn’t played in a bit. The Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in just five games to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Marchand and his team acknowledged the difference in rest on their side. Still, the Bruins are not going to make any excuses heading into this series. This is the hand they were dealt, and they will gameplan for the Panthers with their current circumstances.
“I’d say the toughest part about this game and the transition between this game and next series is that we’re obviously riding a big high and we have to completely forget about it starting [Sunday] morning,” Brad Marchand said, via NHL.com. “But that’s the great thing about playoffs is we earned another four games but now have to completely flip the script and get prepared again.”
Bruins, Panthers have familiarity
Brad Marchand and his team are taking on a rather familiar opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In fact, the Bruins and Panthers met just last season in the tournament. And that series ended up being one of the more talked about showdowns of the year, especially given the result.
The Bruins initially raced out to a 3-1 series lead. And it wasn’t exactly the most competitive series, either. Boston controlled the play for most of the games. It truly looked like the Panthers were on the brink of an early exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again.
However, Florida kept themselves in the series. They picked up a huge overtime win in Game 5 before winning Game 6 on home ice. This forced a Game 7, which took place back in Boston. This game also went to overtime, where Florida got the job done. Carter Verhaghe scored another clutch goal to send the Panthers into the second round.
Script is flipped in 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Panthers went on to win the Eastern Conference title in 2023. However, they fell short of the Stanley Cup when they lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. It was an inspiring run from a team that barely snuck into the Stanley Cup Playoffs to begin with.
In 2024, though, the roles are completely flipped. Brad Marchand and his Bruins were the historically good team looking to cap off a 65-win season with a Stanley Cup. This year, they are a good team, but they are not are potent as they were this time a season ago.
The Panthers, meanwhile, aren’t the underdogs in this fight. Florida is one of the best defensive teams in the NHL this year. And they are one of the more physical teams in the tournament. The Panthers entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a favorite to win it all. Their performance against the Lightning has ensured they remain favorites in the tournament.
Brad Marchand and the Bruins have the talent to win this series. But the challenge is different from the last time they played the Panthers. Boston will need to have quite the gameplan if they wish to return to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024.
More must-reads:
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