The Florida Panthers entered the second round facing a familiar foe after taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning by a series score of 4-1. That foe is the Boston Bruins, a team they defeated in seven games last postseason after being down 3-1 in the series.
Unfortunately, the Bruins remember that playoff series all too well and they beat Florida in Game 1 by a score of 5-1. With the Panthers not playing for a week, and the Bs playing just 48 hours before that game, momentum was on Boston’s side and it caught the Panthers by surprise. If Florida wants to win this series, they have to shake off the rust as soon as possible.
Panthers Wrapped up Their Series Early, and the Bruins Jumped on It
The Cats took care of business nearly as soon as they possibly could with the Tampa Bay Lightning. As previously mentioned, they took them down in five games, with Game 5 being on April 29. While that long wait time was enough to give injured players the rest they needed, it ended up making their skills a bit rusty.
They did have a strong start to Game 1, but they ultimately fell to the Bruins, who were still running on the high from their Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Lack of Momentum Ended Panthers’ 2023 Playoff Run
Florida was in a similar scenario less than a year ago and it ultimately ended their season. The Panthers, to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, made quick work of the Carolina Hurricanes to win their first Eastern Conference title since 1996 by sweeping them. Their opponent, however, took a little bit longer.
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The Vegas Golden Knights sent the Dallas Stars packing with a series score of 4-2, giving them their second-ever Western Conference Championship. They played Game 1 against the Cats five days later. That game was Florida’s first in 10 days after winning their series. The Panthers dropped the Stanley Cup Final by a series score of 4-1.
The Injuries From the Week Off Are Still Not Healed
In Game 2 against the Bolts, forward Sam Bennett left the game early after taking a shot to the wrist. He ended up missing the rest of the first round and is not expected to return until Game 3 or 4 of this series. In addition to that, forward Ryan Lomberg missed Game 2 with an illness and hasn’t played since. It is unknown when he will return.
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The team is still not 100% despite the time off. There’s nothing wrong with getting a series done early to rest up. But it does not look like it did them the good it was supposed to do, as evidenced by Bennett and Lomberg’s continuing absences.
Despite the Loss, There Is Still Time to Right the Ship
Despite getting beat down in Game 1, it is only Game 1 they’ve dropped. It is a seven-game series and the Cats have been in situations like this before and managed to still win the series. They’re called the “Cardiac Cats” for a reason as well.
If they want to get back into this, it starts with winning at home. While they have won games in Boston before in the playoffs, it’s not an easy task, especially considering the team has yet to beat them this season and has a 1-1 record on the road in the postseason. They have to take the series back because if they don’t, the offseason could be the roughest the team might ever suffer.
