BOSTON — Two teams are chasing the Bruins for the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and one of them, the Florida Panthers, is at TD Garden for a Tuesday night matchup.
Florida sits four points behind Boston with the same number of games played. Even though the Panthers have a lot of young, inexperienced players, they are still capable of remaining in the playoff race up until the final day of the regular season.
“I think they’ve been a good team that’s progressed all year,” B’s head coach Claude Julien said. “They’ve gotten better, and that’s a good sign for them with young players coming around. They’ve added some players, veteran players, that have helped solidify that group. I think the coaching staff has done a real good job with that group.”
Here’s a preview of Bruins-Panthers:
TV, Radio Information: NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub
Season Series: Boston 1-0-1
Record: Boston (38-25-13, fourth in Atlantic), Florida (35-26-15, eighth in Atlantic)
Bruins Player To Watch: Tuukka Rask is expected to start in net for Boston and has enjoyed lots of success against the Panthers throughout his career with an 11-1-1 record, a 1.01 goals against average and a .963 save percentage. His last start versus Florida was a 2-1 shootout loss on March 21 in which he made 24 saves on 25 shots.
Panthers Player To Watch: Jaromir Jagr has been one of the best trade-deadline acquisitions with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 14 games since joining the Panthers. The 43-year-old forward has five points in his last four games, including a two-goal effort in a huge 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. He’s still a dangerous player in the attacking zone at even strength or on the power play.
Key Stat For Bruins: Boston has won 16 of its 38 games decided by one goal for a .421 win percentage (22nd in the league). The Bruins are 3-0-4 in games decided by one goal or in a shootout in March. Their two previous games against the Panthers were decided by one goal (2-1 overtime win in November) and a shootout (2-1 loss earlier this month).
Key Stat For Panthers: Florida has the 27th-ranked power play at 15.8 percent, but the unit has been effective with three goals (3-for-6) in the last two games. The Panthers are 0-for-4 with the man advantage in two games against the Bruins this season.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
