BOSTON – With a chance to end their five-game road trip on a high note, the Florida Panthers will battle the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
After racing out to a 3-0-0 start, the Panthers have gone 0-4-0 on their first road trip of the season.
Thankfully, they've had a chance to get some needed rest since their last game on Saturday.
In the oft-used words of Sergei Bobrovsky: reset and refocus.
“I think we needed it,” head coach Paul Maurice said of the respite. “I think we ran seven [games] in 10 and a half [days]. I think that we looked like we did. It’s a factor, not an excuse. It’s the National League and you’ve got to play through it, but we looked like we were behind a little bit in our last couple games. We were missing a bit of that pop.”
Scoring just one goal in losses at Detroit and New Jersey, the Panthers were kept off the scoresheet in a 3-0 loss at Buffalo in their last outing on Saturday. In addition to going 0-for-7 on the power play, they couldn’t sneak any of their 32 shots past a red-hot Alex Lyon.
Standing tall, Lyon earned the shutout for Buffalo despite 4.53 expected goals for Florida.
Looking to spark the offense and cash in on some of those expected scores, the Panthers will be switching up their power-play units heading into tonight’s tilt against the Bruins.
During Monday’s practice, the new first unit featured Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, Seth Jones, Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Reinhart, while the second unit had Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe and Eetu Luostarinen.
“Just got to keep ripping it,” said Samoskevich, who fired off a career-high seven shots on goal against the Sabres. “It’s one of my strengths, so just keep sticking with that. I’m obviously surrounded by a bunch of great players, so work with them to open stuff up.”
For Marchand, tonight’s game will mark his first time playing against his former team.
Dealt to the Panthers at last year’s trade deadline, the 37-year-old veteran spent his first 16 seasons in the NHL with Boston, racking up 976 points (422G, 554A) in 1,090 career games.
Returning as a two-time Stanley Cup champion, he first helped Boston win it all back in 2011.
“I’m excited for this one,” Marchand said with a smile. “It’ll be fun to compete against guys that I played with for a long time and be on the other side of it in here. I’m sure it’ll be a pretty intense game. It’ll be fun to play in front of the Bruins fans again."
Between the pipes, Bobrovsky will get the nod for Florida.
Surrendering two or fewer goals in four of his five starts, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner boasts a 3-2-0 record with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
“They give us a chance every single night to win,” forward Jesper Boqvist said of the team’s goaltending tandem of Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov. “We’ve got to help them more.”
Like the Panthers, the Bruins have also cooled off after a hot start.
Since starting 3-0-0, they’ve lost each of their last four games.
Hoping to get back on track on home ice, the Bruins picked up no points on their recent three-game road trip out west, falling short at Vegas (6-5), Colorado (4-1) and Utah (3-2).
Always finding a way to make a dent on the scoresheet, David Pastrnak leads Boston in goals (4) and points (8), while Pavel Zacha ranks second in points (6) and first in assists (5). Third in scoring, Elias Lindholm has recorded five points on two goals and three assists.
Expected to start for Boston, Jeremy Swayman has gone 2-2-0 with a .917 save percentage.
Never a dull moment between these two division rivals, the Panthers have eliminated the Bruins in two of the last three postseasons. After pulling off one of the greatest upsets in playoff history in Round 1 in 2023, the Panthers bested Boston again in Round 2 in 2024.
Last season, the Panthers owned a 2-1-1 record against Boston.
Even with new faces on both sides, the matchups always have some extra juice.
“Game 1 of the series three years ago was the heaviest I’ve ever been a part of,” Maurice said of the ongoing rivalry. “I think there were 85 hits. … That was the starting point. I think the Boston Bruins taught us how to win in that series, how to stay in the fight, how to scratch and claw. It became the style of game that we adopted over the next few years.”
THEY SAID IT
“It goes in stretches. Sometimes, it just doesn’t go in, but we don’t quit. We want to be better. For myself, just trying to be my best. I know I have a lot to give. Just believe in the process and go day by day. Tomorrow, we have a new opportunity to be good.” – Anton Lundell on the power play
"We’re careful about all kinds of injuries. Good to have him back. He plays hard every night and always has an ice bag on something. He was fine the next day." – Paul Maurice on Niko Mikkola leaving Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury
FIVE CATS STATS
- Sam Reinhart has scored nine goals in his last 10 games vs. Boston.
- Anton Lundell has tallied a team-high three points on the power play.
- Mackie Samoskevich ranks second on Florida with 19 shots on goal.
- A.J. Geer has racked up a team-high 24 hits.
- The Panthers are 2-1-0 when scoring first this season.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Luke Kunin – Jonah Gadjovich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Oct. 15: D Donovan Sebrango claimed off waivers from Ottawa
- Oct. 13: D Tobias Bjornfot recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Oct. 12: F Jonah Gadjovich agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Tuesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: ESPN, ESPN+
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM/560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers App; NHL app; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Watch Party: Funky Buddha Brewery
