3 Keys: Panthers at Bruins, Sport 6 of Japanese 2nd Spherical – NHL.com

Florida on cusp of 2nd straight journey to convention closing; Marchand game-time choice for Boston
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Florida leads best-of-7 collection 3-2
BOSTON — Brad Marchand’s potential return may give the Boston Bruins a lift after they try and keep away from elimination once more in Sport 6 of the Japanese Convention Second Spherical in opposition to the Florida Panthers at TD Backyard on Friday.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery stated Marchand will likely be a game-time choice after the ahead missed the previous two video games with an upper-body damage he sustained in a collision with Panthers middle Sam Bennett within the first interval of Sport 3.
Boston misplaced three consecutive video games to fall behind 3-1 within the best-of-7 collection earlier than profitable 2-1 in Sport 5 at Florida on Tuesday to power Sport 6. That victory gave the Bruins some momentum and confidence.
“I believe the feelings and momentum in playoffs is a humorous factor,” Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy stated. “You wish to keep even keel, however you actually want good issues with a view to choose up your morale, and we made that occur down in Florida. So we all know what’s in entrance of us [Friday] at residence, in an important place to maintain this factor going and preserve our season alive and we are able to’t watch for the chance.”
The Panthers have received 5 straight Stanley Cup Playoff video games at TD Backyard, relationship to their first-round collection in opposition to the Bruins final season, which they got here again to win in seven video games after trailing 3-1. A sixth straight postseason victory in Boston would ship Florida to the Japanese Convention Ultimate for the second consecutive season.
One other Bruins win would lengthen the collection to Sport 7 at Amerant Financial institution Area in Dawn, Florida, on Sunday.
“I assumed our final recreation was somewhat sluggish and we felt that as nicely,” Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour stated. “They’re enjoying arduous. We’ve received to play similar to that and stick with our recreation and be able to go tonight.”
Florida is 2-1 all-time within the Stanley Cup Playoffs when main a best-of-7 collection 3-2; Boston is 4-23 all-time when trailing a best-of-7 collection 3-2, together with 1-12 when opening on the highway.
Listed here are 3 keys for Sport 6:
The Bruins captain had 10 factors (three targets, seven assists) in 10 playoff video games earlier than he was injured, together with a team-high six factors (two targets, 4 assists) on the facility play. Boston’s sagging energy play is 1-for-14 (7.1 %) within the collection, so Marchand may give it a much-needed raise.
Getting Marchand again additionally may present the Bruins an emotional spark.
“He’s our chief clearly,” ahead Jake DeBrusk stated. “If he’s again, I believe that it simply brings a vocal man again on the bench. Clearly his ability set speaks for itself. I believe it’s a type of issues the place he does a whole lot of issues in a different way for this workforce in terms of particular groups and even 5-on-5, so to have again a extremely high quality participant like that and a pacesetter of our workforce, solely helps your group.”
The workforce that generated extra sustained offensive-zone stress with its forecheck received every of the primary 5 video games. The Panthers dominated in that space in profitable Video games 2-4, outshooting the Bruins 107-50 and holding them to 18 photographs or fewer in every of the three video games.
Boston did a greater job on the forecheck in Sport 5, notably within the first interval, when it pressured Florida into turnovers and outshot it 13-4.
“I believe that’s an enormous key for each us and them,” Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling stated. “We wish to get the forecheck going and switch pucks over, take it to the online. That’s actually the way you create.”
This is able to clearly apply to Florida, which is the visiting workforce and has received 5 consecutive playoff video games at TD Backyard. It’s additionally pertinent to Boston.
The Bruins are 2-4 at residence within the playoffs and 4-2 on the highway, together with two wins at Florida on this collection. Boston has had extra success when it simplifies its recreation on the highway or performs at residence as if it is on the highway, because it did in a 2-1 additional time victory in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Sport 7 of the primary spherical.
“It’s simply typically you’ve received to be affected person,” Montgomery stated. “As gamers, you’ve received to play via that. It’s simpler to be affected person on the highway. You might be down 1-0 [and] you may nonetheless play your recreation.”
Vladimir Tarasenko — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Evan Rodrigues
Ryan Lomberg — Kevin Stenlund — Nick Cousins
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Steven Lorentz, Kyle Okposo, Tobias Bjornfot, Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, Jonah Gadjovich, Spencer Knight, Rasmus Asplund, Mike Benning, Magnus Hellberg, Matt Kiersted, William Lockwood, Mackie Samoskevich, Justin Sourdif
Injured: None
Jake DeBrusk — Morgan Geekie — David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand — Charlie Coyle — Trent Frederic
Danton Heinen — Pavel Zacha — Justin Brazeau
James van Riemsdyk — John Beecher — Pat Maroon
Hampus Lindholm — Charlie McAvoy
Mason Lohrei — Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon — Andrew Peeke
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Scratched: Matt Grzelcyk, Derek Forbort, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jakub Lauko, Jesper Boqvist, Joey Abate, Patrick Brown, Brandon Bussi, Michael Callahan, Michael DiPietro, Trevor Kuntar, Marc McLaughlin, Jayson Megna, Georgii Merkulov, Ian Mitchell, Oskar Steen
Injured: None
Reinhart and Bennett every missed observe Thursday, however will play. … Cousins and Lomberg every will enter the lineup, changing forwards Lorentz and Okposo on the fourth line; Cousins has been scratched the previous three video games and Lomberg will play for the primary time since Sport 1 of the Japanese Convention First Spherical in opposition to the Tampa Bay Lightning. … Marchand was a full participant in observe Thursday, but when he can not play, Lauko, a ahead, could be anticipated to enter the lineup, transferring the opposite left wings up a line.
NHL.com unbiased correspondent Joe Pohoryles contributed to this report
🔹 Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins
🔹 New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
🔹 Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
🔹 Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers

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