The book is closed on the 2022-23 NHL season, and for the Boston Bruins it was a historical one, breaking numerous franchise and league records. But with that chapter closed, a new one begins: The hunt for the Stanley Cup.
And there’s no better way to start the postseason than a date with the Florida Panthers.
Bruins fans should be familiar with the Cats since they are one of two clubs to defeat Boston twice during the regular season. The first was a 5-2 trouncing in November, and the second was the heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss in January.
Regardless of Bruins fans’ knowledge of the Panthers, here are a few things to know about Florida ahead of the best-of-seven first-round series, which begins Monday.
Matthew Tkachuk will become public enemy number one
If Bruins fans don’t already have a dislike for the 25-year-old forward, they will by the end of his first shift in the opening game.
Tkachuk not only plays with fierce physicality (he led the Panthers with 123 penalty minutes) but with speed, skill and accuracy as he is also an offensive threat. He led the Panthers with 40 goals and 69 assists for 109 points.
They’re deep and know how to score
Florida has a lot of depth and was fifth in the league in goals scored. Tkachuck and Carter Verhaeghe (42 goals) lead the offense, along with Sam Reinhart and captain Aleksander Barkov who have added 31 and 23 goals, respectively.
The Panthers not only score up front but defensemen Brandon Montour, Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad have combined for 43 goals from the blue line.
Florida averages 36.8 shots per game and has converted on 63-of-276 power-play opportunities for a respectable 22.8%.
Goaltending is questionable
Although offensively the Panthers scored 290 goals, their goaltending has let in 273 for a collective save percentage of .903.
After starting in the final eight games of the regular season for Florida, six-year veteran Alex Lyon is slated to get the nod in Game 1. In 14 starts, Lyon has posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.89 goals-against average.
The X-factor, although Lyon led the Panthers to a 6-1-1 record in those final eight games; Lyon has zero experience in the playoffs, so it’s unknown if he can handle the pressure of facing the league’s Presidents’ Trophy winners.
They have something to prove
As last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, 58-16-6, they won their first playoff series against the Washington Capitals but were then upset in the conference semifinals when the Tampa Bay Lightning swept them in four games.
The team has also changed a lot from last season to this season. Florida traded Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weeger to add Tkachuk and went through not just one, but two coaching changes.
Joel Quenneville resigned as the head coach last season and was replaced with Andrew Burnette, who led the franchise to its single-season win record. At the end of the season, Burnette was replaced by veteran bench boss Paul Maurice.
Undoubtedly, the Panthers will be gunning to serve the Bruins with the same fate they were dealt last year.
