Bruins-Panthers Game 1: Projected Lines, Defensive Pairings For Series Opener

The Bruins and the Panthers will play Game 1 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

Boston looked a little different at morning skate in Florida than it did in Saturday night’s series finale against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The most noticeable change was the absence of Brandon Carlo, whose wife gave birth to their first son Monday morning. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters he was “very hopeful” Carlo would be available for the opener, but he didn’t give a definitive statement on the defenseman’s status.

Up front, Patrick Brown took Jesper Boqvist’s spot on the fourth line in morning line rushes. Montgomery didn’t reveal if Brown was going to play in Game 1 but acknowledged the Bruins called up the veteran forward to help deal with their “bumps and bruises” as a team. Danton Heinen did not skate Monday morning, but general manager Don Sweeney said he is confident he’ll return “at some point” this series.

Much like Round 1, Montgomery kept his goalie plan close to the vest. But fresh off his brilliant Game 7 against Toronto, Jeremy Swayman was the first netminder off the ice for the B’s on Monday morning.

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Here are the projected lines and defensive pairings for Bruins-Panthers Game 1:

BRUINS (0-0)
BradMarchand–Charlie Coyle–Jake DeBrusk
Pavel Zacha–Morgan Geekie–David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk–Trent Frederic–Justin Brazeau
John Beecher–Patrick Brown–Pat Maroon

Mason Lohrei–Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm–Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon–Kevin Shattenkirk

Jeremy Swayman

PANTHERS (0-0)
Carter Verhaeghe–Aleksander Barkov–Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen–Anton Lundell–Sam Reinhart
Vladimir Tarasenko–Kevin Stenlund–Evan Rodrigues
Nick Cousins–Steven Lorentz–Kyle Okposo

Gustav Forsling–Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola–Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson–Dmitry Kulikov

Sergei Bobrovsky