On April 6, the Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers for the fourth time in 2023-24, completing a regular-season sweep of their Atlantic Division opponent. It was a 3-2 overtime triumph, with Jesper Boqvist scoring the game-winning goal, which few people would have predicted before to the matchup.
After the Panthers halted the Bruins’ playoff run sooner than planned last season, there was a noticeable chip on the team’s shoulder whenever they met this season. This is an ongoing rivalry. The Panthers defeated the Bruins in the playoffs and followed up with a regular-season sweep. It will now be up to Boston to prevail when it means most in another potential postseason series between the two teams.
The Four Victories of 2023-24
The Bruins’ games versus the Panthers were anything but easy triumphs. There is certainly some remaining bad blood from the playoffs, which has spilled over into all four 2023-24 meetings. These are two teams that dislike each other, and Florida has swiftly emerged as one of Boston’s main adversaries. They have developed a bitter rivalry in recent seasons, which has only grown stronger between the 2023 Playoffs and the 2023-24 regular season.
To recap the wins, the teams first met on Oct. 30 in another OT game in Boston. Pavel Zacha scored the game’s winning goal in overtime. Their second encounter took place on November 22, just before American Thanksgiving. Linus Ullmark made 27 saves in the Panthers’ 3-1 triumph, ending their six-game winning run. Their third encounter was on March 26, and the Bruins came back to win, scoring twice in the closing five minutes to level and then lead.
In the Bruins’ four games versus the Panthers, 17 different players scored, including an assist from Jeremy Swayman. In comparison to their Atlantic Division rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom the Bruins also faced four times in 2023-24 and won all four games, 13 players scored. Charlie McAvoy, who has three of his 11 goals this season and four total points against Florida, and Zacha, who has two goals and five points in four games, were the standouts.
This demonstrates that the Bruins’ victory over the Panthers were a collective effort this season. Three of the four games came down to a single goal. The squad had nine different goal scorers in those games, indicating that they were not only winning on the strength of their top point scorers from the 2023-24 season.
Again, this does not compensate for the disappointment of the team’s first-round exit from the 2023 playoffs. The fans haven’t forgotten about it, and this suggests that the Bruins haven’t either.
What Does This Mean for the 2024 Playoffs
The Boston Bruins are a very excellent team. The Panthers are, too. With this latest victory, Boston took a five-point lead over Florida in the standings with four games remaining. The squad has not yet clinched first place in the division, but it appears like they will be the top team coming out of the Atlantic again. Still, if Florida outperforms them and the Bruins fall to second, it won’t be the worst thing because they won’t have to face each other.
While it would be poetic if the two teams faced up in the first round again, it is ultimately preferable to prevent it. While the Bruins may have gained confidence from their successes, the postseason is always a different beast. Unless both Boston and Florida lose all four of their final games and Toronto, who is presently third in the division with 97 points and six games remaining, wins all six to advance to the first round, they will not see each other again. Florida is an excellent team, and this season’s contests were all wars. It’s not a terrible idea to (hopefully) move the clash to a later round, but given how much contempt these two teams appear to have for each other, it would be a fantastic series.
Most importantly, the Panthers have played well against other playoff-bound teams this season. As previously stated, they also won all four games against the third-place Atlantic Maple Leafs and are 22-7-8 this season versus clubs currently in playoff contention. It ranks first among Eastern Conference playoff teams.
The Bruins have the potential to make a long playoff run this season; now they just need to accomplish it. While they are unlikely to meet in the first round, there is still the possibility of a playoff battle in the second round, and what a series that would be. These are two rival clubs, and a playoff series would undoubtedly bring out the best in both.
Bruins Peaking at the Right Time.
With this last victory over the Panthers, the Bruins extend their current win run to four. Since head coach Jim Montgomery chastised the players at practice a few weeks ago, the situation has completely changed. Most significantly, they are not giving up as many leads late in games; instead, they are fighting back late to win (like they did against the Panthers on March 26) and maintaining leads.
The Bruins are cruising into the postseason, save for Justin Brazeau’s recent injury. Brazeau has been tremendously productive on the fourth line since his callup earlier this season, with five goals and seven points in 19 games while averaging only 11 minutes of ice time each night. He is on a week-to-week basis, but fortunately, Pat Maroon will return soon to help with the bottom six heading into the playoffs.
The Bruins overcame their demons during the 2023-24 regular season. Now it’s just a matter of getting out of the first round of the playoffs after exiting early last season and the year before.
