Florida wore Boston Strong t-shirts before the game in their locker room, according to NESN’s Mike Cole. They also took a page out of the Bruins’ book by wearing local first responder hats for pregame warmups. The Bruins were back to helmets on Sunday after wearing first responder hats on Saturday afternoon.

Check out some photos of the Panthers’ shirts and hats in the pictures below.

Photo via Instagram/flapanthers

Photo via Twitter/@NaokoFunayama

Let’s have a look and see what teams have surprised us, what teams have disappointed us and what’s gone according to plan.

The Canadiens and Blackhawks are both atop their respective conferences and both have surprised in their own ways.

The Canadiens were the worst team in the Eastern Conference last season and although they didn’t make any major offseason roster changes, they now find themselves in first place after an incredible turnaround. They were a preseason long shot to win the Stanley Cup, but now they’re just at 14-1 on the NHL futures at Bovada and only two teams — Boston and Pittsburgh — have shorter odds.

The Blackhawks have been quite impressive in their own right. More people would have believed that they would be in first place at this time, but nobody foresaw their record-setting start. It took them until their 25^th game to lose in regulation. While teams like Vancouver, Philadelphia and Nashville have fallen off, the Blackhawks have emerged as the clear-cut Stanley Cup favorite at 9-2.

On the other hand, the Panthers ended a 12-year playoff drought last season and entered the 2013 campaign with some promise. Fast forward to the middle of March and the Panthers have their sights set on the top pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. Florida has just 20 points this season and is the only team with less than nine wins. They’ve allowed 101 goals this season, which is astronomical considering no other team has yet to even give up 90.

As for the Capitals, they are just one point better than the lowly Panthers. Washington had high hopes heading into the 2013 campaign — especially after pushing the New York Rangers to their limits in the second round of the playoffs last season. This year, all signs point to the Capitals watching the playoffs from home.

Not much that the public expected has come to fruition in this shortened season, but two teams that have stayed true have been the Bruins and Penguins.

Pittsburgh has been an offensive juggernaut as their 100 goals lead the league — no other team has more than 88 — and they’re now the Cup favorites in the East at 6-1.

As for Boston, they aren’t getting much media attention with Montreal leading the Northeast Division but they’ve been very impressive. They’ve allowed a league-low 53 goals this season and are just three points behind Montreal for the Eastern Conference lead. However, they have played four less games.

Hockey’s brightest stars have their eyes on the prize in the second half of the season. It’s time to shoot and score with NHL Props at Bovada.

The Bruins and Panthers don’t have much of a history together, but that might not be the case for very long.

After all, Florida is joining Boston in “Division C” next year because of the NHL’s realignment plan, and the two could very easily be seeing quite a bit of each other in the not-so-distant future. While the division in which the teams will battle hasn’t even been named yet, that doesn’t mean the B’s shouldn’t try and set the tone in what could end up being a future rival.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is excited about the opportunities ahead. See why in the above video.

Join NESN Nation: In-game home page | Twitter | Facebook

But the longtime enforcer wasn’t always just hitting people in the face, as he was hitting the books for four years at an ECAC hockey school from 1999 to 2003.

Can you name the ECAC school where George Parros played hockey?

Click here to see the answer >>

Answer The Four’s Trivia Question of the Day and enter to win a $50 gift card to one of The Four’s three Boston-area locations. First, read the official rules, completely fill out the entry form and press submit.

Scott Timmins

Timmins, a forward for the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, was arrested early Monday morning after he was found asleep on the couch in a house he had broken into, according to KENS 5. The 23-year-old allegedly refused to leave the property after a mother of three found him sleeping downstairs and called 911.

The trespassing seemed to be innocuous, as police said Timmins meant no harm to the family and truly believed that he was in his own home, but Benjamin Garza, who owns the house and was not home at the time of the incident, would argue otherwise.

“You’re lucky I wasn’t here because I would’ve put a bullet between your eyes and it would’ve been over for you,” Garza reportedly told Timmins after the player’s arrest.

“My first instinct was to beat the hell out of him,” Garza told KENS 5. “He needs to pay for what he did. Traumatizing my family like that.”

Timmins’ arrest comes less than two weeks after his NHL debut, which he made Feb. 26 against the Penguins. It’s safe to say we won’t expect to see him in a Panthers uniform again anytime soon.

Photo via KENS5.com

Photo of the night

Thaddeus Young provided a member of the Sixers training staff with a nice seat cushion Monday night.

Quote of the night

“Nowadays? I do it because I can, but sometimes, the landings suck. That takes the toll on your body. If it’s needed, it’s needed. But if I can make the two points by layup, I’m going to do that. You have to be smart about it.”
–Vince Carter, on why dunking isn’t nearly as fun as it used to be 

Tweet of the night

Any retired players looking for a free vacation to Tampa?

Upon hearing the Chipper Jones rumor, Derek Jeter said, "Call Mike Schmidt, too. Call everybody.”

—
Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) March 11, 2013

Video of the night

Gatorade showers don’t work quite as well on the hardwood, as this high school coach found out firsthand.

With the Canadiens leading Florida 4-0 midway through the third period, Bouillon controlled a Tomas Kopecky slapshot in front of his own net and tried to send the puck off the back boards. But instead of clearing the puck harmlessly around the goal, Bouillon shot it right past Montreal goalie Peter Budaj and into his own net, giving the Panthers crowd something to cheer about for the first time all night.

The Habs held on to win 5-2, but we doubt Bouillon’s teammates will let him hear the end of this anytime soon.

Check out the blunder in the video below, with a hat tip to Puck Daddy.

Renaud Lavoie of RDS reports that Jose Theodore has been diagnosed with a torn groin, likely putting him out of commission for the rest of the season. Theodore needed to be helped off the ice just two minutes into Florida’s 6-2 loss to Carolina on Saturday.

Statistically, the Panthers’ play in net has been the worst in the NHL this season, ranking 30th with 3.7 goals allowed per game. Theodore has been in net for the bulk of those minutes, holding a 4-6-3 mark through 15 games. It’s easy now to forget that the 36-year-old was a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender a decade ago, as he ranks 39th in goals against average (3.29) and 35th in save percentage (.893) this season.

Losing a player that has posted such poor numbers shouldn’t be devastating for a club, but unfortunately for the Panthers, their other option is even less appealing. Backup Scott Clemmensen, who’s played in nine games, has been the worst goalie in hockey this season, ranking 42nd out of 42 qualifying netminders in GAA (4.31) and 41st in save percentage (.857).

The team’s best bet may now be 23-year-old Jacob Markstrom, who was recalled from Florida’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio in the wake of Theodore’s injury. The 6-foot-6 Swede has started 10 games for the Panthers over the last three seasons, going 2-7 with a 2.77 GAA. He’s been victimized by the Panthers’ terrible offensive output this season, receiving only one goal of support in each of his two starts.

Markstrom is with the team in Sunrise but could not dress until midway through the first period of Sunday’s game after United Airlines lost his goalie pads during the trip back from Carolina.

Another option being tossed around is a trade for Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who spent five seasons in Florida from 2000-06. Luongo’s been splitting time in Vancouver with Boston College alum Corey Schneider and was shelled by Detroit for eight goals is his last outing, but the veteran (5-1-3, 2.11, .916) would provide an instant boost to a Panthers team that may already be out of contention less than halfway through the season.

Photo via Facebook/The Florida Panthers

However, that’s exactly what appears to be the case for Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom, whose goalie pads were apparently lost by United Airlines during the team’s flight home from Carolina.

United Airlines didn't get @j_markstrom equipment to FTL. So, Rob Tallas will dress as emergency backup in warmups & game for #FlaPanthers

—
David Neal (@DavidJNeal) March 03, 2013

The Panthers are playing in Sunrise on Sunday against the Hurricanes, a day after playing in Carolina. As a result of the mishap, Rob Tallas will dress as an emergency backup for starter Scott Clemmensen.

The silver lining in all of this for the Cats? If Markstrom’s pads do show up during the course of the game, he can replace Tallas and would be allowed to play.

Maybe next time he’ll use carry-on?

Update: Markstrom’s pads have been located, according to the Panthers’ Twitter account, and the 23-year-old is now back on the bench.

Good news is #PadWatch is over as @j_markstrom's pads here & goaltender has just taken over in backup seat on the bench. #FlaPanthers

—
Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 03, 2013

Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@j_markstrom

Jonathan Huberdeau has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Florida Panthers thus far.

The rookie out of Saint-Jerome, Quebec, leads the team in both goals and points through 18 games, and earned a spot on highlight reels around the country with his nifty penalty-shot goal against Philadelphia’s Ilya Bryzgalov on Thursday. The third overall pick in 2011 was held off the score sheet in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins on Sunday, don’t expect the promising forward to stay quiet for long.

Check out his goal against Bryzgalov in the video above.

The Florida Panthers were the best team in the Southeast Division last season, totaling 94 points and earning the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. This season has not been so bright in Sunrise.

Kevin Dineen‘s club currently sits in fourth place in the Southeast, having totaled just 14 points through 17 games, and has dropped six of its last seven contests. Those struggles start between the pipes, as Jose Theodore, Scott Clemmensen and Jakob Markstrom have combined to post a 3.60 goals against average that is dead last in the NHL. The Panthers will look to get back on track when they host the 10-2-2 Bruins on Sunday at 3 p.m.

The Miami Herald’s George Richards joined NESN Daily to preview the matchup. Check it out in the video above.

Joining Florida would be fine by Luongo, even if he's not ready to rule anything out.

"[The Panthers] makes sense for myself, for my career and my family,'' Luongo told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "This is a preferred location for obvious reasons, but I'm not shutting the door on other possibilities.''

Luongo skated at the Florida Panthers' practice facility Tuesday morning, creating a rather awkward scene. Panthers starting goaltender Jose Theodore was reportedly starting up an informal practice with several of his teammates after Luongo finished up his own skate.

Luongo, of course, lives in the Sunshine State during his offseasons, and he established himself as one of the league's premier goaltenders while with the Panthers before getting dealt north of the border in 2006 — hence the "obvious reasons" Luongo alluded to during his interview. It's certainly interesting to see him crossing paths with Florida's current batch of netminders, though, especially given previous reports about Florida being the front-runners for his services.

If the Panthers are to eventually acquire Luongo, who has spent the last six seasons in Vancouver, it will cost them a great deal of cash. The 33-year-old has 10 years at $5.33 million per season remaining on his current deal.

Panthers general manager Dale Tallon has said he's content with his current goaltending crew, which is comprised of Theodore, Scott Clemmensen and Jacob Markstrom. Luongo is a proven All-Star, however, despite his playoff failures, so he could be viewed as someone who could put the Panthers over the top after their rapid improvement.

Luongo — like every player in the NHL these days, actually — doesn't know what his future holds, but he understandably wants to remain a team's No. 1.

"Obviously, I want to start,'' Luongo told the Sun Sentinel. "You're dealt different situations in life. You've got to handle them the right way. I don't know what's going to happen this year. The only thing I could do is work hard and have a positive atittude. At the end, I'm sure everything is going to work out.''

Where exactly everything is going to "work out" remains very much a mystery.

NESN’s Jack Edwards has been warning people for years, and the Canucks just didn’t listen, although Mikael Samuelsson would have preferred if they did.

During an interview with the Swedish website hockeysverige.se, Samuelsson, who played for the Canucks in 2011, made it clear that he thought Alex Burrows biting Patrice Bergeron during the Stanley Cup Final wasn’t a very smart decision.

“Me, myself was in the press box during those games, but it probably wasn’t very good that [Alexandre] Burrows bit Patrice Bergeron in the finger in the first game. After that, Boston was angry,” Samuelsson said, according to a translation by CanucksArmy.com. “You might say that was the wrong team to fire up. They play a very physical game and I thought it would’ve been better to let the bear sleep, if you know what I mean.”

Sure, we know what you mean, Mikael. After all, the Bruins did play with plenty of fire from there on out, eventually hoisting Lord Stanley after a 4-0 Game 7 win.

Samuelsson was even willing to give credit where it’s due.

“We were close to winning it, we had a 3-2 advantage, but Boston turned it around and deserved to win,” he said.

Samuelsson missed the second half of the 2011 postseason due to injury. He has since been traded to the Florida Panthers, and has said that he didn’t think very highly of Vancouver’s management.

Click here to relive Alex Burrows’ bite on Patrice Bergeron >>

Click here to see Milan Lucic taunt Burrows by offering up some fingers >>

Click here to see Mark Recchi taunt Maxim Lapierre >>

Roberto Luongo

TSN's Bob McKenzie tweeted Thursday that his colleague Darren Dreger reports that the Florida Panthers are the front-runners to land the veteran netminder.

According to McKenzie, Dreger says that dialogue continues between the two clubs, which is something that can't be said for the Canucks and Maple Leafs (another team rumored to be pursuing Luongo).

Luongo spent five seasons with the Panthers from 2000 to 2006 after the Islanders dealt him with Olli Jokinen for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha in June 2000. Luongo was then dealt to Vancouver in 2006 as part of the deal that saw Todd Bertuzzi wind up in Florida.

With Cory Schneider leapfrogging Luongo on the depth chart and inking a three-year deal, it's obvious Luongo will soon be on the move. The Panthers, with no clear cut No. 1 goalie, make plenty of sense.

Steve Bernier and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored, and Martin Brodeur made 14 saves for New Jersey, which squandered a two-goal lead and had fans dreading another first-round playoff exit until Zajac scored from the right hand circle.

The shot beat Scott Clemmensen to the lower corner and set off a mob scene on the ice. Read the complete story here.

Michael Yormack, the President and CEO of the Florida Panthers, called out the fans for throwing plastic rats onto the ice on his Twitter page.

"Great win, but fans we cannot throw rats during the game," Yormack posted on Twitter. "This has become a serious issue."

Panthers fans showed their excitement for a goal on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils by throwing rats on the ice. No actions or calls were made the officials, according to NBC Sports.

The rats can be seen behind Ed Jovanovski, who looked a little weirded out, and goalie Jose Theodore as they celebrate after the win.

That was all it took to end any debate that the Stanley Cup playoffs is still the best show in sports.

Forget March Madness, baseball pennant races or even the Super Bowl, where the commercials are often more memorable than the actual game. In the span of two days, eight games were played across the NHL. They produced the kind of action, intensity and drama that other sports could only dream of creating.

Want a nail-biter to keep you on the edge of your seat long into the night? This weekend had that, with the Bruins and Capitals going to double overtime before Washington squeaked out a 2-1 win. The Senators and Rangers, and Blackhawks and Coyotes each needed sudden death as well, though Chicago first had to rise from the dead with a game-tying goal with six seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

Want high-scoring, end-to-end action? The Flyers and Penguins took care of that, with Philadelphia taking an 8-4 win on Sunday to grab a commanding 3-0 lead over their rivals from across the Keystone State. This after the teams combined for 20 goals in the first two games of the series.

Or is a tight, defensive struggle with great goaltending and a chess match between coaches more to your style? The Bruins and Capitals provided that with their double-OT epic following Thursday's 1-0 overtime victory for the Bruins in the opening act.

Speaking of 1-0 wins, Jonathan Quick and the Kings have pushed the mighty Canucks to the brink of elimination with a 1-0 victory Sunday, giving Los Angeles a 3-0 series lead.

And that leads us to perhaps the greatest attraction of the NHL postseason, the pure unpredictability of it. Fans across the league may have dreamed of it, but who honestly would have ever expected the Canucks, fresh off winning the Presidents' Trophy yet again with the league's best record, being on the verge of being ousted from the playoffs without winning a single game in their series with eighth-seeded LA?

Who could have foreseen Braden Holtby having such an impact on the postseason, but the 22-year-old netminder who had never started a playoff game in the NHL has stepped in with Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth both injured and given the reigning Stanley Cup champions all they can handle with 72 saves on 74 shots through two games.

If skill and strategy isn't enough, the NHL has even brought back the hatred in this year's playoffs. It's that combination of on-ice artistry and brute physical force that makes hockey the unique sport it is. For too long, the playoffs have shied away from the mayhem that makes for so many memorable clashes in the regular season.

Not this year. In the eight games over the weekend, there were 10 full-fledged fights, a marked increase over the 0.44 fights a game averaged in the regular season. That's the way the postseason used to be when the intensity of the action led to frequent fights in the playoffs in the 1970s and 80s. In more recent years, the stakes have been too high to risk the extra penalties in fights, and knowing the momentum to be gained from the bouts, teams were often reluctant to risk letting the opposition turn the tide by engaging in scraps if they were already ahead.

But this year those concerns appear to have taken a backseat to the emotions involved in these matchups, much to the enjoyment of the fans on hand and those watching at home. It's almost as if the players, who voted 99.5 percent in favor of keeping fighting in the game in a recent Sports Illustrated poll, had finally heard enough of the lame "but if fighting is so important why is there none in the playoffs" arguments from the anti-fighting crowd and decided there was enough of that nonsense.

Even the stars are getting involved, with the likes of Shea Weber, Anze Kopitar, Claude Giroux and Sidney Crosby dropping their gloves, and in Crosby's case knocking away the odd glove when a Flyer tries to pick it up. Even Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette, who has built a skilled Flyers team far from the image of the old Broad Street Bullies, couldn't help but enjoy the spectacle.

"I thought it was great," Laviolette said when asked about Giroux fighting Crosby on Sunday. "In the end, that's really playoff hockey, isn't it? You know, couple of the best players in the world dropping the gloves and going at it."

Laviolette isn't the only one enjoying what they've seen. NBC reported its playoff rating are up 50 percent over last year, with Sunday's wild Pittsburgh-Philadelphia battle drawing a 77-percent increase over the Rangers-Capitals game shown in that time slot a year ago. North of the border, the hockey purists in Canada don't seem offended, with TSN's ratings up 56 percent. The Flyers-Penguins are the big draw there as well, averaging 1.4 million viewers a game compared to the overall playoff average of 991,000.

Some of those viewers come from within the league itself. No matter how busy they are this time of year, hockey people always make time to check out the other games around the league, and not just for scouting purposes.

"Absolutely, this is the time of year you watch everything you can, even if it means you stay up late,  because it's interesting," Bruins coach Claude Julien told reporters in Washington on Monday. "You don't just watch it for reasons of homework, but you're also a fan of this game and this is a great time of year to be watching hockey. Obviously there's a lot of intensity in some of those series. A lot of them are about rivalries and it kind of gets amped up to a point where it's borderline."

Sure, there's been some indefensible actions with nasty stickwork, elbows and even the odd head smacked into the glass in these early games, and some even odder disciplinary decisions both from the on-ice officials and the league office. But hey, every drama needs a good villain, and with the Canucks looking ready to head back to the smoldering ruins of their home, you have to admit Brendan Shanahan is playing the part perfectly.

Everything, in fact, was pretty close to perfect in that first weekend of playoff action. And to think, this is just the opening round. Imagine what the games will be like when the teams get a little closer to actually hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.

Actually, that does bring up one shortcoming to the NHL playoffs. They will end in a couple months.

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

The Bruins followed that loss by continuing the plummet after traveling across the Sunshine State, dropping a 6-2 decision to the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. on Thursday.

The Bruins have now lost four straight games for the first time in over two years. Their last losing streak of this duration was part of a 10-game winless stretch in January and February of 2010 that included five consecutive regulation losses.

Boston can't afford to match that now. This skid has eliminated any margin for error going forward. The Bruins' lead in the Northeast Division is down to one point, and they could be in seventh place in the Eastern Conference by the time they next step foot on the ice to host Philadelphia in a St. Patrick's Day matinee on Saturday. The Senators host Montreal Friday night, and an Ottawa win will push the Sens past Boston into the division lead and the second seed in the conference.

And the Bruins have no one to blame for their continued struggles but themselves.

"It was a self-inflicted loss for us tonight," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "From deflections to really poor responsibilities in our own end, we gave them a lot of opportunities. Our forecheck was better, we were able to turn pucks over, but definitely our defensive game really struggled tonight."

Things started out OK for the Bruins, a stark contrast to the first two games of the road trip where they were outscored a combined 7-0 in the first period. The Panthers managed just one goal in the opening frame, and that came on the power play after a questionable cross-checking call on Shawn Thornton.

"I thought we started off pretty decently in the first period, and then, again, when you don't get scored on you can come out of there 0-0 and at least you're heading in the right direction," Julien said. "I thought a really weak call on Thornton and they end up scoring that goal, so a little bit of déjà vu there for a lot of guys."

The Bruins still could have built off that effort in the first. Instead, Florida came out flying and doubled the lead 38 seconds into the second period. Boston finally got on the board on a Joe Corvo tally, but rather than gain momentum, the club self-destructed.

Florida answered less than two minutes later when Stephen Weiss was left all alone in front for a rebound after a Bruins turnover on an errant Corvo breakout pass gave the Panthers entry into the zone to begin the play.

John Madden added another goal later in the second when he stole the puck from Gregory Campbell trying to come out of the defensive zone, then went to the front of the net and eventually popped the puck up and over Tim Thomas at the right post.

In the third, the Bruins should have been the aggressors, playing desperate hockey trying to avoid falling to their fourth straight loss. Instead, Florida carried the play. The Bruins were outshot 12-9, outhit 10-4 and outscored 2-1 in the final frame. They even managed to win just 9 of 23 faceoffs in the third.

The two goals Florida added came off more mistakes. Chris Kelly attempted to go around behind the Bruins net with the puck, only to hit Adam McQuaid and have it bounce right to Tomas Kopecky at the right post for an easy tap-in, while Wojtek Wolski finished an odd-man break into a wide-open net as Thomas looked skyward for answers.

"We've done a good job of sticking together, keeping what positive we can," Thomas said. "But that's not working. I don't know what to do. We've got to do something to change it, I know that."

Thomas didn't have a lot of help in front of him, but he also didn't do much to keep the Bruins in the game as he allowed six goals on just 29 shots. That's become a familiar pattern of late. Since Tuukka Rask went down with a groin injury, Thomas is now 2-5-0 with a 4.26 GAA and an .830 save percentage.

The Bruins need Thomas to be much better than that, but they also need everyone in front of him to improve their game.

"We need everybody," Julien said. "We need some good goaltending. We need some good defensive zone coverage and less breakdowns. All that is about the team. We didn't win last year because of one person. We won because of the team and right now we're struggling because the team is struggling and we've got to work our way out of that as a group."

The Bruins do have last year's success to draw upon, and they remain confident that they can pull out of this spiral.

"We have a great group of guys," Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said. "We have the tools. We have the talent. We are capable of doing great things. We've proven that. We've done it before. It's just right now we can't find a way to be effective, offensively or defensively. It's tough to really describe it."

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

The Bruins have lost four in a row overall for the first time since January 2010, and will find themselves out of first place in the Northeast Division if Ottawa beats Montreal on Friday.

Boston returns home for a St. Patrick's Day matinee against the Flyers Saturday at the Garden. The Bruins desperately need to win that one to put an end to this slide.

Third Period, 17:24, Panthers 6-2: The Panthers add another to put up the second straight six-spot on the Bruins.

Tomas Fleishmann leads the odd-man break down the left side and drops the puck back to Wojtek Wolski in front for an easy goal into an open net.

Third Period, 14:29, Panthers 5-2: The Bruins kill off that penalty and Seidenberg is out of the box. The sides return to even strength, but there's little time left for the Bruins to mount any kind of rally.

Third Period, 12:29, Panthers 5-2: The Bruins now find themselves shorthanded as Dennis Seidenberg is sent to the box for tripping, giving Florida a chance to put this one completely out of reach on the power play.

Third Period, 10:10, Panthers 5-2: Daniel Paille's bid from the right slot is gobbled up by Jose Theodore as this one has passed the midway point of the third period. after an early surge, the Bruins still find themselves down three goals and time is running out for any kind of rally to salvage a game on this road trip.

Third Period, 7:51, Panthers 5-2: The Bruins give up another on a turnover in deep to put the breaks on this comeback attempt.

Chris Kelly attempted to send the puck around behind his own net, but the puck hit Adam McQuaid and bounced right to Tomas Kopecky at the right post, and he buried a quick shot past Tim Thomas.

Third Period, 4:48, Panthers 4-2: The Bruins catch a break after Johnny Boychuk breaks his stick on a one-timer. The Panthers have numbers on the counterattack with Boychuk caught out there without a stick, but Florida is off-sides on the rush.

Third Period, 1:44, Panthers 4-2: The Bruins take advantage of the power play as Brian Rolston scores his first goal in his second stint with the Bruins.

Rolston one-timed a blast from the high right side that hit off Theodore and dribbled over the line to pull Boston within two goals.

Third Period, 1:02, Panthers 4-1: The Bruins will get an early power-play chance to try to get back in this game as Marcel Goc is sent off for tripping Brad Marchand.

Third Period, 0:00, Panthers 4-1: The final frame is under way in Florida, where the Bruins are facing the prospect of a winless road trip and their first four-game losing streak of the season if they can't mount a mighty rally in this period.

Second Intermission Notes: The Bruins avoided another horrible start and came out of the first down just a gaol, but things fell apart quickly in the second as the Panthers extended the lead to 4-1.

After Florida scored in the opening minute, the Bruins appeared to settle down and started creating chances, which ultimately led to their first goal by Joe Corvo. But the Panthers answered less than two minutes later, then added another goal late.

Both of those last two came after Bruins turnovers in their own zone and featured breakdowns in coverage in front as Boston's sloppy defensive play continues. Tim Thomas hasn't shown much improvement in goal either, allowing four goals on 17 shots.

The Bruins also have 17 shots, while leading 34-21 in hits and 22-20 in faceoffs. That just shows how deceiving the statsheet can be. the hits stand out in particular, as the bruins have been physical, but not to that extent. That's an area they actually need to improve upon, along with cleaning up their defensive play, if they want to turn this around.

End Second Period, Panthers 4-1: The middle frame comes to a merciful close, but not before the Bruins found themselves facing another huge deficit as the Panthers answered Boston's lone goal with three more of their own.

Second Period, 15:27, Panthers 4-1: The Panthers add another one as John Madden scores to extend the lead to three goals.

This one started with another turnover in the Boston zone. Jerred Smithson eventually fed it out from behind the net to Madden at the right post, and Madden popped a shot up and over Thomas for the tally.

Second Period, 13:33, Panthers 3-1: The Bruins threaten again with Marchand setting up Seguin in front with a pass from out behind the net, but Seguin sends the bouncing puck up and over the net.

Second Period, 11:32, Panthers 3-1: The Bruins create a chance with some nifty passing in the offensive zone, with Marchand getting the puck back for a bid from the left slot, but Theodore makes the save.

Second Period, 9:23, Panthers 3-1: The Panthers continue to press the attack, with old friend Marco Sturm the latest with a chance at the left post but Thomas manages to turn that one aside before Sturm crashes into the boards.

Second Period, 6:32, Panthers 3-1: The Panthers answer right back and push the lead to two again on a Stephen Weiss goal.

Weiss banged home a rebound in front as he was left uncovered in the slot. The play began on a turnover when Corvo couldn't connect on a pass to start a breakout and Florida regained the Boston zone.

Second Period, 4:53, Panthers 2-1: The Bruins get on the board with Joe Corvo supplying the goal Boston desperately needed.

Benoit Pouliot got the puck up the wall to Corvo at the left point and Corvo sent in a wrister that fluttered high into the goal with Brian Rolston providing some traffic in front.

Second Period, 3:04, Panthers 2-0: The fourth line with a much-needed strong shift for the Bruins, keeping the Panthers hemmed in the zone and creating some decent scoring chances. Now the Bruins need to build off that momentum and try to turn this game around.

Second Period, 0:38, Panthers 2-0: The Panthers double the lead in the opening minute of the second period as Marcel Goc tips one past Tim Thomas in front.

Brian Campbell sent the wrist shot in from the blue line that was deflected in front, and a video review confirmed that it was a good goal.

Second Period, 0:00, Panthers 1-0: The middle frame is under way in Florida, where the Bruins once again have to dig out of an early hole, though this one is just one goal.

First Intermission Notes: The Bruins cleaned up their game for the most part in the opening period, but a couple of questionable penalties helped lead to Boston facing a 1-0 deficit after the first frame anyway.

The Bruins had an 8-6 edge in shots and an 18-8 advantage in hits. They're also 11-9 on draws, thanks mostly to David Krejci being 7-1.

Tim Thomas wasn't tested often, but looked more comfortable than in recent games. There wasn't much he could do on the lone goal, a power-play strike through a screen in front.

End First Period, Panthers 1-0: The opening period has come to a close, and while the Bruins had a better start than in recent games, they still trail 1-0 after a late power-play goal by the Panthers.

First Period, 17:57, Panthers 1-0: The Bruins have allowed the first goal of the game once again as Mikael Samuelsson scores on the power play.

Samuelsson scored from the right circle as Sean Bergenheim provided the screen in front.

First Period, 16:58, 0-0: The Bruins are shorthanded again as Shawn Thornton is called for cross-checking.

First Period, 15:55, 0-0: The Panthers with some pressure on the Bruins, testing Thomas a couple times. He's looked a little more comfortable in the crease in this one after some shaky outings of late.

First Period, 11:50, 0-0: The Bruins can't convert that brief power play after the 4 on 4 situation and all the penalties ar now expired and the sides back at even strength.

First Period, 9:50, 0-0: The Bruins catch a break as Jose Theodore evens up the penalty as he's called for delay of game for playing the puck outside of the trapezoid behind the net.

First Period, 9:09, 0-0: The Bruins will be shorthanded as Brad Marchand goes to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct. Marchand was actually the victim of a dangerous low hit by Brian Campbell that was not called. Bergeron immediately challenged Campbell, who refused to fight. Marchand was then called for a penalty later in the shift going after Campbell.

First Period, 8:05, 0-0: Pouliot is back out for his next shift after going off in pain when he was hit by some friendly fire on that Corvo blast.

First Period, 4:58, 0-0: The Bruins with the best chance so far as Joe Corvo goes down deep on the right side and centers it out to Chris Kelly, but Kelly is denied at the left post. Corvo then hit Pouliot with a shot later in the shift.

First Period, 3:00, 0-0: After a brief delay to fix a broken pane of glass, action is back under way in Sunrise, Fla.

First Period, 2:53, 0-0: With Seguin back with Bergeron and Marchand, Jordan Caron is now up with Milan Lucic and David Krejci, adding a winger with a little more attention to detail defensively on that unit.

Benoit Pouliot returns to a line with Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston, while the Merlot Line of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton remain together.

First Period, 0:00, 0-0: The Bruins' final game of this three-game road trip is under way in a clash of teams trying to hold on to their division leads between Northeast Division-leading Boston and Southeast Division-leading Florida.

7:30 p.m.: The Bruins will open with the reunited line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin up front, with Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk on defense and Tim Thomas in goal.

The Panthers counter with Tomas Fleischmann, Stephen Weiss and Wojtek Wolski up front, Brian Campbell and Jason Garrison on the blue line a nd Jose Theodore in net.

7:25 p.m.: Bergeron, McQuaid and Pouliot are all back in the lineup for this one.

Greg Zanon, Mike Mottau and Trent Whitfield are the healthy scratches for the Bruins.

Kris Versteeg, Mike Santorelli and Jack Skille are out for Florida.

7:15 p.m.: Patrice Bergeron, Adam McQuaid and Benoit Pouliot, who are all game-time decisions for this one, each took part in the pre-game warm-ups.

Trent Whitfield and Greg Zanon also skated and will play if the above are unable to go.

7 p.m.: As expected, Tim Thomas led the Bruins out for warm-ups and will be back in net for Boston in this one.

Jose Theodore led the Panthers out and will get the start for Florida.

6:30 p.m.: The Bruins close out their three-game road trip when they take on the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. in about an hour. They hope to avoid going winless on the trip, and they really can't afford to lose another with Ottawa looming just one point back in the Northeast Division.

The Bruins have won the last two meetings of the season against the Panthers. After falling 2-0 at home on Dec. 8, Boston rolled to an 8-0 win at Garden on Dec. 23 and won a shootout 3-2 in Florida on Jan. 16. The Bruins have actually won five straight in Florida dating back to 2009, but the Panthers come in having won their last three games on home ice.

8 a.m. ET: The Bruins hope they won't be revisiting the winter of 2010. The Panthers would like nothing better.

Boston comes into Thursday's clash in Florida having lost three straight games. They haven't dropped four in a row since a 10-game winless streak back in Jan.-Feb. 2010 when they went 0-6-4, including a stretch of five straight regulation losses. The Panthers have won their last two games and three straight at home. They haven't won four straight home games since Jan. 2010.

The Bruins limp into Sunrise on the heels of a 6-1 loss to the Lightning Tuesday in Tampa, but they have won two of three against Florida this season, including an 8-0 shellacking at the Garden two days before Christmas. The Bruins have also won five straight in Florida, last losing on the Panthers' home ice back on Feb. 21, 2009.

There's plenty of significance to this game for both sides. The Bruins (40-26-3, 83 points) are clinging to the Northeast Division lead, which is down to just one point after Ottawa picked up a point in a shootout loss to Montreal on Wednesday. Boston does have two games in hand on the Senators, but they haven't made very good use of those games in hand of late and will need to get points out of this one.

The Panthers (33-23-13, 79 points) are also one point ahead of Washington for the Southeast Division lead, with Winnipeg five points back. Florida has a game in hand on both the Capitals and the Jets. The Panthers have also pulled within four points of Boston, and could overtake the Bruins for the second seed in the East even if both teams hold on for their respective division crowns.

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Tune in to NESN to watch the game, and stay with the NESN.com live blog, as we'll keep you up to speed on everything happening.

The Boston Bruins have been reeling from some serious injury troubles over the past month or so, and thing have seemed to just get worse with time.

The B's aren't alone with plaguing injuries, though, as the Florida Panthers have faced much of the same in terms of missing their star players on what seems like a regular basis.

The Panthers have been without Jack Skille, Dmitry Kulikov and Kris Versteeg for quite some time and
while Versteeg is about ready to get back in the lineup there's still no timetable for Skille or Kulikov.

However, unlike the Bruins, Florida has found solid production in some of their replacements this season.

Check out the video above to hear Dale Arnold and Mark Mowers discuss the Panthers' injury woes and how they've been overcoming the plaguing problem.

Editor's note: NESN.com will be running one NHL ice crew gallery per day, starting on Feb. 13.

Hockey fans are some of the most passionate in the wide world of sports.

While they're loud and proud from the second the puck drops until the final horn, many teams' followers are lucky enough to be aided by a group of young women (and sometimes even a few men), commonly known as an Ice Crew.

Click here to see more of the Panthers ice girls heating up the rink >>

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Florida: Florida Panthers Dancers Bring Red Hot Flare to Ice Cold Hockey Rinks