Paul Maurice Shares Significant Update Before Bruins-Panthers Game

The Bruins found out Saturday that Aleksander Barkov would not be available for the Panthers when the Atlantic Division rivals met Monday afternoon.

But as Paul Maurice revealed hours before puck drop at TD Garden, Florida’s captain won’t be the only star sidelined for the visitors in its latest tilt against Boston.

Matthew Tkachuk will miss the second Panthers-Bruins clash in less than a week due to an illness, per Florida team reporter Jameson Olive, citing an update from Maurice. The reigning Stanley Cup champions aren’t anticipating having Tkachuk back on the ice until their home matchup with the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 22.

Playing a Tkachuk-less Panthers team obviously bodes well for the Bruins. The star wing only logged one point in Florida’s six-goal barrage last Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena, but he suckered Boston into multiple game-changing penalties. The Bruins, as they so often do, struggled to disregard Tkachuk’s antics and had their game thrown off in the process.

All things considered, Jim Montgomery’s side is in an advantageous position to extend its win streak to three on Monday. NESN’s complete coverage of the matinee affair will begin at noon ET, with puck drop to follow at 1 p.m.