Bruins-Panthers: Questions that will tilt the playoff series

If the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers confirmed us something in Game 1 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Monday — a 5-1 win by the B’s — it’s this:

Expect the sudden from this one.

The Atlantic Division rivals clashed once more amid fraught current historical past that will add one other stimulating chapter with this postseason matchup. The Bruins fell in notorious trend to the Panthers final spring, with the Presidents’ Trophy winners blowing a 3-1 first-round series result in see their playoff run finish early in a Game 7 additional time loss.

Then Boston went 4-0-0 in the common season towards Florida, which nonetheless received the division with yet one more level than the Bruins.

The Panthers breezed by their first-round series towards the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 video games, and had been out of motion since April 29. Meanwhile, Boston was battling its demons once more, having gone up 3-1 towards the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first spherical solely to land again in a Game 7 additional time — which it received 2-1, simply two days earlier than the second spherical was set to start.

That set the stage for a return to South Florida, the place the well-rested Panthers awaited a battle-weary Boston brood. But shock! It was the well-travelled Bruins who got here out on prime in Game 1 with a blowout victory.

Suffice it to say, the Bruins have everybody’s consideration now — most particularly the Panthers’. So what will Florida do in response to the rout?

Before the puck drops for Game 2 on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), we’re breaking down 5 burning questions for the series based mostly on what occurred in Game 1.

Can the Panthers rattle Swayman?

There’s not a extra unbothered postseason participant than Jeremy Swayman.

Case in level: The Bruins netminder was buried beneath no fewer than six our bodies throughout a goal-line scrum in Game 1, all of them looking out frantically for the puck, and Swayman had it beneath him all alongside. The cackle he delivered whereas nonchalantly tossing the disk out from his glove to the bemused displeasure of the surrounding Panthers? Priceless.

And additionally, an issue.

Toronto discovered the onerous method how backbreaking it may be getting stymied by Swayman, what together with his .950 save proportion and 1.49 goals-against common in the first spherical. Now the Panthers have seen up shut the problem that beating Swayman will current, as he made a person playoff-best 38 saves in Game 1 to achieve a postseason document of 5-2, with a .955 SV% and 1.42 GAA. He’s additionally the eighth goaltender in league historical past to permit two targets or fewer in his first seven begins in a postseason.

Florida didn’t do sufficient to get in Swayman’s face on Monday. Sure, the Panthers fired 39 photographs on internet, however they clocked simply 4 high quality, high-danger possibilities by the first two intervals and weren’t really testing Swayman till the third, when he had a three-goal cushion.

Boston stored Florida’s finest skaters to the outdoors or chasing their very own tails behind the internet. The Panthers weren’t getting our bodies in entrance and simply peppered Swayman with photographs he may simply monitor. That technique didn’t work for the Leafs; it doesn’t challenge to go any higher for Florida.

What may work is making Swayman uncomfortable — if, at this level, that’s even attainable. Swayman’s confidence is rightfully sky-high after masking many Bruins blemishes in the first spherical after which placing on a present in Game 1 towards Florida.

It’s as much as the Panthers now to regulate how they assault Swayman in Game 2. Part of that falls on Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky — who made 24 saves in Game 1 — bettering considerably at the different finish to match Swayman’s excellence.

Getting by Swayman will require the Panthers to determine a constant net-front presence, battle down low for unfastened pucks and search out greasy aim alternatives. All of these are clichés for good motive as a result of they work, particularly in the postseason, when open ice and rush likelihood is richer than Swayman’s subsequent contract will be.

Who wins the particular groups battles?

If the Panthers and Bruins have something in frequent, it’s figuring out easy methods to shut down an opponent’s energy play — and in addition easy methods to leverage their very own.

Boston silenced Toronto on the man benefit in the first spherical, when the Leafs had been a woeful 1-for-21 with the further man to the Bruins’ 6-for-17. Florida stifled Tampa Bay there, too, leaving the Lightning at 4-for-20 whereas it went 3-for-13 (and added a short-handed aim in addition).

Game 1 supplied each Florida and Boston alternatives to capitalize on particular groups that netted, nicely, nothing.

The Panthers had been 0-for-3 with the further man. Boston was 0-for-2.

Who’s going to interrupt the stalemate there?

Boston and Florida entered their series with an excellent quantity (11) of 5-on-5 playoff targets, though the Bruins had performed two extra video games than the Panthers to get there. Boston held the power-play edge total, hitting 35.3% to Florida’s 23.1%. Boston additionally had the higher kill, sitting at 95.2% versus 80% for Florida (once more, by extra video games on Boston’s finish).

If Game 1 was a feeling-out course of, and the series expectedly tightens up from right here — notably as the Panthers get their legs beneath them once more — then particular groups ought to develop into a bigger think about success (or failure). Given how each side have generated scoring at even energy, these openings on the energy play begin to loom massive in figuring out outcomes.

Will Florida’s depth ultimately shine?

Game 1 had star energy — nevertheless it was the Bruins’ depth stealing the highlight.

The early 1-1 rating got here courtesy of targets from two top-line skaters — Matthew Tkachuk for Florida, Morgan Geekie for Boston — after which the sides settled in. Some fringe scorers emerged for the Bruins in Mason Lohrei (together with his first of the postseason), Brandon Carlo (notching his second) and Justin Brazeau (additionally together with his first).

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Justin Brazeau beats Sergei Bobrovsky for a Bruins aim

Justin Brazeau scores a third-period breakaway aim to place the Bruins up 4-1 vs. the Panthers.

Boston exemplified the significance of getting contributors all through the lineup. It’s on Florida to reply in type come Game 2 and past.

The Panthers are a formidable staff up entrance and proved it of their first-round series towards Tampa Bay. Through these 5 video games, Florida earned unimaginable contributions from Carter Verhaeghe (5 targets), Tkachuk (three targets) and Sam Reinhart (three targets), amongst others.

The Bruins confirmed in Game 1 how they deny real scoring possibilities and might be tough to penetrate defensively. In a series like this, prime traces can cancel one another out. So who’s going to provide from amongst the Panthers’ backside six to assist them maintain tempo with what Boston can provide all through its personal lineup?

Granted, the Panthers are lacking Sam Bennett, who hasn’t performed since struggling an upper-body damage towards the Lightning on April 23; he’s thought-about day-to-day, and coach Paul Maurice estimates he’ll return by Game 4. When Bennett can get again, it will undoubtedly enhance the Panthers offensively.

But even nonetheless, Florida ought to count on contributions from the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko and Evan Rodrigues to begin punctuating the rating sheet if the Bruins handle to carry Verhaeghe, Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov off it as a rule on this series. And if the Panthers may see some targets flying in from the blue line — defensemen have accounted for simply three of Florida’s postseason scores to this point — all the higher for them.

How will the teaching matchup play out?

It was 5 minutes into the third interval of Game 1. Boston was up 3-1, and Jim Montgomery needed to name a timeout.

Florida had despatched 11 photographs on Swayman in the ultimate body, and Boston appeared misplaced.

Montgomery noticed his group headed for hassle and requested for a breather.

“I could tell our players were hurried, a little frantic with the puck,” Montgomery stated. “I just wanted us to relax.”

The Bruins took a pause. Play resumed. And two minutes later, Brazeau discovered the again of the internet to ice Boston’s victory.

“After that timeout, you could tell the momentum shifted,” Swayman stated.

“At the right time, he made the right timeout,” Carlo added. “He believes in us a lot.”

Game administration is essential in the postseason. And in Game 1 it was Montgomery who appeared to outduel Maurice in that respect. How will Florida’s bench boss counter?

The intricacies and gamesmanship of teaching aren’t at all times seen on the outdoors. In Montgomery’s case with the timeout, it was only a completely executed instance of figuring out what your gamers want to remain on monitor. And it’s maximizing their potential in each scenario to get a victory over the line.

If Montgomery hadn’t slowed the Bruins down, and Florida had damaged Swayman with one other aim, there was sufficient time left for the Panthers to come back all the method again (and let’s not neglect Boston was tied for the league lead in regular-season additional time losses when main after two intervals).

That will need to have been prime of thoughts for Montgomery in Game 1. And it might need saved Boston from a possible intestine punch.

Can Boston keep momentum?

The Bruins had emotion on their aspect coming into this series, in additional methods than one.

While Florida had been cooling its heels since beating the Lightning over every week in the past, Boston rolled into Round 2 off that dramatic additional time victory in Game 7. Add to that an additional aspect of recent dad power from Carlo — who arrived for Game 1 simply hours after his second little one was born — and the Bruins had been feel-good favorites for the evening.

The problem for Boston now could be to channel that identical power even after a few of the unique luster has been misplaced.

Montgomery was open about how Boston “made a lot of mistakes” in Game 1 that weren’t catastrophic due to Swayman’s stellar efficiency. Florida was certainly one of the league’s premier groups all season, and there’s little doubt it’ll have a counterpunch able to ship in Game 2. The Panthers had been the stronger staff out of the gate in Game 1, too, and if not for Swayman holding the Bruins in it early, the outcome may not have gone Boston’s method.

How the Bruins deal with what Florida does in another way now strikes to the forefront. Boston undisputedly set a tone in Game 1 with physicality, confidence and swagger. But if the Bruins don’t clear up some areas, as Montgomery alluded to, then Florida is just too robust a staff to not reap the benefits of its opponent’s errors.