SUNRISE, Fla. – It’s always exciting when these two teams clash.
Penning the third chapter of their season series, the Florida Panthers will host the rival Boston Bruins for a matinee matchup at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
In their two previous meetings this season, Florida went 2-0-0 while scoring 10 goals.
“You get to know each other,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “There’s not a lot of surprises.”
The Panthers also eliminated the Bruins from the playoffs each of the last two years.
“Those are easily the two most physical, nasty series that I’ve ever been a part of,” Maurice said of the team’s epic playoff battles. “They’re the ones that I would pay money to go see. They’re great games. They’re heavy and fast. Lots of skill, but lots of bite on both teams.”
Sitting second in the Atlantic Division at 25-15-2, the Panthers closed out their two-game road trip up into the mountains with a 4-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday.
Jesper Boqvist scored twice in the win, while Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen each lit the lamp once. Standing tall in net and earning first-star honors, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 of 26 shots, including turning aside 17 of them during a second-period push from Utah.
Owning a 9-4-0 record with a .923 save percentage over his last 13 appearances, Bobrovsky will start against Boston.
"He's in a rhythm," Maurice said. "He has been for almost a month and a half. He's been very, very good for quite some time."
On a heater, Boqvist has cracked the scoresheet in six of his last eight games.
“It’s unbelievable,” Reinhart said of Boqvist, who’s tied for sixth on the Panthers with nine goals. “If you go around the room, he’s everyone’s favorite player. He’s so fast. He fits in phenomenally. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about him.”
Despite returning to the lineup in Utah after missing one game with an undisclosed injury, Aaron Ekblad will likely not play against the Bruins.
If Ekblad can't go, Tobias Bjornfot will take his place on the blue line.
"We want to be careful," Maurice said. "It's nothing sinister or long term. He played the other night. I thought he played very well with it. The question is how many times do we want to do that? We've got to let this thing heal."
In the midst of an up-and-down season that’s already seen them make a change behind the bench, the Bruins currently sit fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 20-19-5.
Watching their losing streak reach six games, the Bruins enter this afternoon’s matchup on the heels of a 4-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday. Mason Lohrei scored the lone goal in the loss for Boston, which has been held to just one goal in four of six games during its slump.
The power play has been particularly off for the Bruins during their skid, going 0-for-10 while surrendering a pair of shorthanded goals.
David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (17), assists (25) and points (42), while Brad Marchand is second in scoring with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists). Also reaching the 20-point mark, Pavel Zach and Elias Lindholm have logged 21 and 20 points, respectively.
After an outstanding performance against the Panthers in the second round of last year’s playoffs, Jeremy Swayman has struggled in the first half of this season. In 31 appearances, the 26-year-old goaltender has posted a 13-15-3 record with a .893 save percentage.
In their last meeting on Oct. 14, Reinhart scored twice to lift Florida to a 4-3 win at TD Garden.
“It’s been a couple months since we saw them last, but no matter how both teams are doing it’s a game that brings out the best in both,” Reinhart said. “It’s going to be a challenge, it’s going to be a grind, and we’re looking forward to the test.”
THEY SAID IT
“On your calendar, there are big games. I get that from a coach’s point of view that you have to take it one game at a time. But if things are great in your program, you’ve got some great rivalries. They’re in our division and a great rivalry.” – Paul Maurice on the Bruins
“When you’ve got the history like the two of us do, it makes no difference where you’re at. It’s a game that brings out the best in both, and if you’re not ready at the start you’re going to pay the price.” – Sam Reinhart on the Bruins
FIVE CATS STATS
- Sam Reinhart has scored three goals in two games against Boston this season.
- Tomas Nosek suited up in 141 games for the Bruins from 2021-22 to 2022-23.
- The Panthers own a 10-1-0 record when Aleksander Barkov scores a goal.
- Matthew Tkachuk ranks second on Florida with 10 multi-point games.
- Mackie Samoskevich leads the Panthers with four game-winning goals.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Evan Rodrigues – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Carter Verhaeghe – Anton Lundell – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Mackie Samoskevich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Dmitry Kulikov
Niko Mikkola – Nate Schmidt
Tobias Bjornfot – Uvis Balinskis
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Jan. 6: D Tobias Bjornfot recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Dec. 23: F Rasmus Asplund loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV & Streaming: ABC, ESPN+
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM Channel 91 / App & Streaming 931
Tickets: Click Here
