The Florida Panthers split the first two games of their best-of-seven series against the Bruins in Boston and are now hoping to replicate the feat in their own barn on Sunday afternoon.
After falling to the Bruins in the pivotal Game 3, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters what was expected of his team heading into Game 4.
“We’ve got to scratch and claw to win tomorrow,” Maurice said. “That’s the idea, to get off the mat after every loss and get back in the fight hard and fast. They did [in Game 3]. We did [in Game 2]. We each have one kind of rebound game.”
The Panthers were without the services of defenseman Aaron Ekblad for the final frame in Game 3 after a collision with Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the middle period. Ekblad was seen on the ice for Florida’s optional practice on Saturday, but his status for Game 4 is unknown.
“He came back in feeling much better today, and we’ll need another day like that,” Maurice said per team reporter Jameson Olive. “It’s that time of the series. Everybody’s going to have some game-time decisions.”
Despite Maurice pulling goaltender Alex Lyon after Boston took the 3-0 lead in the last game, the Panthers coach wasn’t punishing the starting netminder but giving the veteran Sergei Bobvrosky some ice time.
“There’s a risk, right? You put in a guy that’s been sitting for a while, but he needs a little bit of action,” Maurice said per Olive. “That’s all that was. It was not a critique of Alex’s game.”
Maurice has not named a clear starter for Game 4. According to Olive, both goalies were getting work during the optional practice.
Boston is up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series and will look to become one game closer to closing the series when they take the ice on Sunday afternoon at FLA Live Arena. Puck drop is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action, plus 90 minutes of pregame coverage, on NESN.
