The Boston Bruins will continue their four-game road trip when they battle the Panthers on Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Follow along for updates from Saturday’s game.
WHO: Bruins (45-20-9) at Panthers (33-29-12)
WHEN: 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: BB&T Center
TV: NESN
RADIO: 98.5-FM The Sports Hub
LIVE BOX SCORE: NHL.com
TICKETS: BSJ ticket partner SeatsForEveryone.com
LIVE COVERAGE:
9:44: Bruins beat the Panthers, 7-3. Bruins clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third year in a row.
9:42: Bergeron with the empty netter. 7-3 game.
9:36: Panthers pull the goalie.
9:19: Matching penalties for McAvoy and Trocheck. 4-on-4 hockey.
9:12: Vincent Trocheck scores with nine seconds to go on the PK. 6-3 game.
9:09: Clifton heads off for interference. Bruins PK gets a look.
9:06: Third period underway.
8:49: Five goals scored — and about 37 left hooks landed by Noel Acciari — in that period. 6-2 Bruins.
8:43: Pastrnak with a breakaway tally. 6-2 Bruins.
8:40: Steven Kampfer makes it a 5-2 game. Power-play strike.
8:34: Make it 1-for-12 on the power play for the Bruins over the last six games.
8:32: Hoffman now off for a slash. Boston back on the power play.
8:27: Mike Hoffman with a goal. 4-2 game with 9:56 left in the second.
8:23: Hell of a play by Kuhlman — who buries his second goal of his career. 4-1 game.
8:19: Who else? Zdeno Chara with his 200th career goal. 3-1 game.
8:10: Panthers make it a 2-1 game. Just 20 seconds after Marchand's tally.
8:08: Brad Marchand makes it a 2-0 game. Just 28 seconds into the second.
8:07: Second period underway.
7:48: End First: Bruins hold a 1-0 lead over Florida. SOG in favor of Boston, 15-12.
7:30: The Nordstrom-Acciari-Backes line has put together some great showings lately. On Thursday vs. Devils, Boston had a 10-1 edge in scoring chances generated during 10:46 of 5v5 TOI with that line out. No other Bruins line was out for more than three scoring chances for at 5v5.
7:20: Bruins now 1-for-11 on the power play over the last 11 games.
7:19: B's now in on the power play.
7:18: Boston scores just 2:23 into the game. Backes sets up Acciari for his fifth goal of the season. Clifton also gets his first NHL point. 1-0 Bruins.
7:10: Puck is dropped and we're underway.
7:00: Bruins starters: Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak / Chara-McAvoy / Halak
PROJECTED LINES
BOSTON
Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk -- David Krejci -- Karson Kuhlman
Danton Heinen -- Charlie Coyle -- Chris Wagner
Joakim Nordstrom --Noel Acciari -- David Backes
Zdeno Chara -- Charlie McAvoy
Connor Clifton -- Brandon Carlo
John Moore -- Steven Kampfer
Jaroslav Halak
Injured: Sean Kuraly (hand), Marcus Johansson (lung contusion), Torey Krug (concussion), Matt Grzelcyk(upper body), Kevan Miller (upper body)
FLORIDA
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Aleksander Barkov -- Evgenii Dadonov
Mike Hoffman -- Vincent Trocheck -- Jayce Hawryluk
Frank Vatrano -- Riley Sheahan -- Troy Brouwer
Jamie McGinn -- Henrik Borgstrom -- Colton Sceviour
Mike Matheson -- Aaron Ekblad
Keith Yandle -- MacKenzie Weegar
Mark Pysyk -- Josh Brown
Sam Montembeault
PREGAME NOTES:
- The Bruins will look to clinch a playoff berth for the third straight season Saturday night, as Boston only needs two points to clinch a spot for the postseason. However, they can also clinch if they secure one point and the Montreal Canadiens lose to the Buffalo Sabres in any fashion on Saturday or if the Canadiens win in a shootout. So far, the Lightning, Flames and Sharks have all clinched playoff berths.
- While Torey Krug, Matt Grzelcyk, Marcus Johansson and Kevan Miller are all back with the team and skating, none are expected to return to the lineup on Saturday. Boston will also be without Sean Kuraly, who suffered a fractured hand during Thursday’s win over the Devils. He will be out for at least four weeks. With Kuraly out, Boston has recalled Karson Kuhlman from Providence — with the winger set to skate with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Charlie Coyle will center a third line with Danton Heinen and Chris Wagner.
- Zdeno Chara will appear in his first game since signing a one-year, $2 million contract extension with the Bruins. For more on Chara’s new deal, click here.
- The Panthers are 5-2-0 in their last seven games and sit seven points behind Montreal for the second Wild Card spot in the East. Florida’s top-line center in Aleksander Barkov is now up to 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in his last eight games.