Summary:
The Florida Panthers are looking to make this November one to remember. After picking up points in their past six games, Florida is looking to maintain their hot streak against a banged-up Boston Bruins team. With the Bruins currently missing their captain Zdeno Chára, as well as crucial players Torey Krug and David Krejci, will the Panthers be able to capitalize on these injuries and pull off a big win? On to the game!
Historical Context:
In 79 games played against the Boston Bruins, the Panthers have 32 wins, 36 losses, 6 ties and 5 overtime losses. This leaves the team with 75 points and a .475% points percentage. This ranks Boston as the team number 14 out of 29 on the Panthers total win column. Last season, the Florida Panthers were 0-5-0 against the Boston Bruins. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
What To Expect:
Shawn Thornton’s return to Boston should be an event-filled night. He was a highly respected player within the organization and it’ll be interesting to see if any Bruins player attempts to mix it up with him. It’ll be a tough battle for the Panthers as they are still battling a barrage of injuries and have called up Rocco Grimaldi and Vincent Trocheck to patch up their lineup. Also, Florida forward Aleksander Barkov is still questionable for tonight and his return would be crucial to a Panthers victory tonight.
Know Your Enemy:
Patrice Bergeron: Widely regarded as one of the best two-way centers in the NHL, Bergeron does it all. Last season in 80 GP, Bergeron tallied 62 points (30 goals and 32 assists). This season, he has 7 points in 13 games (1 goal, 6 assists). If Barkov draws back into the lineup tonight, his play will be key as he will have the task of shutting down Bergeron and Boston’s top line.
Expected Line Combinations:
Florida Panthers:
L1: Fleischmann/Jokinen/Boyes
L2: Upshall/Bjugstad/Hayes
L3: Kopecky/MacKenzie/Thornton
L4: Robak/Trocheck/Grimaldi
D1: Campbell/Ekblad
D2: Mitchell/Kulikov
D3: Olsen/Gudbranson
Starting G: Luongo
Backup G: Montoya
Boston Bruins:
L1: Marchand/Bergeron/Smith
L2: Lucic/Kelly/Griffith
L3: Fraser/Soderberg/Eriksson
L4: Paille/Campbell/Gagne
D1: Seidenberg/Hamilton
D2: Morrow/McQuaid
D3: Warsofsky/Trotman
Starting G: Rask
Backup G: Svedberg
Closing Thoughts:
Shawn Thornton’s return to Boston should be a good one. Let’s hope Florida can escape from the “Ghost of Penalties Past” tonight and pick up some big points on the road.
Patric M. can be reached for contact on Twitter.
