Mycampusplug
Florida Panthers Uncover Deeper Issues Plaguing Boston Bruins Beyond Referee Controversy
The Boston Bruins started the second round of their second-round series with a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers last Monday in South Florida. Prior to that, they had fought the Toronto Maple Leafs for seven games.
After that game, things were beginning to look up for the Black and Gold, but they have since rapidly declined. Charlie Coyle’s goal at the conclusion of the first period gave Boston a 1-0 lead in Game 2, but everything has fallen apart since then.
In order to tie the series, Florida scored six goals in the last two periods to win 6-1. Then, they traveled to Boston and prevailed 6-2 in Game 3. In Game 4, Florida overcame a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
This Tuesday night, the series returns to Sunrise for Game 5. In this series, have the Bruins received a raw deal? Indeed, but I don’t hold officiating responsible. But in Game 4, the Panthers benefited from a dubious review and had twice as many power opportunities.
After a power play, Sam Bennett cross-checked Coyle into Jeremy Swayman, and Bennett ended up scoring the game’s only goal, tying it 2-2. Another Florida man advantage resulted after the Bruins losing their challenge to the goal.
It would be simple to sit here and criticize the referees or the NHL for doing nothing about Bennett’s apparent sucker punch to Brad Marchand’s face in Game 3, which probably eliminated him from the series.
In the grand scheme of things, Boston’s problem exceeds that of the politicians. Against the Panthers, the Bruins are inferior in talent. The talent disparity between the Bruins and other teams was a major factor in the series’ rapid turnaround.
Overall, Florida is the team with far more skill and physicality, and they execute their plan in all three zones almost flawlessly. They have caused a huge shooting differential by frustrating the Bruins in the neutral zone.
If you have been following along, you know that Florida has some dog players on the ice. Whether you like him or not, Matthew Tkachuk can finish strong and plays the game to get under the other team’s skin.
Will he ever let go of his guard with Trent Frederic or Pat Maroon? Nope, knowing he will have an advantage, he will do it with David Pastrnak.
Don’t expect Tkachuk to put Matt Rempe to the test if they manage to close out the Bruins and play the New York Rangers—assuming they also manage to close out the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tell me that Bruins supporters wouldn’t accept the inclusion of Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Bennett, Aleksander Barkov, or any other player who has caused them trouble this series. They are superior to one another, play with a physical mindset, and act like “dogs” whenever they are on the ice.
The Panthers are strong at moving the puck, covering brilliantly in the defensive zone, and keeping goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky safe in front of him.
The Bruins haven’t been able to generate a lot of high-danger opportunities by getting below the dots. This is also related to the pressure that Florida’s forwards applied to Boston’s defense players.
Jeremy Swayman has been a reliable player in this series and against the Maple Leafs. Without him, they probably wouldn’t have been able to beat Toronto, who had a stronger roster overall.
Yes, but have the Bruins really received the raw deal? Yes, but it’s difficult to overlook the bigger issue, which is that their current lineup isn’t good enough to compete with Florida. Boston’s season was always viewed as a bridging year, and their squad of second picks.
