Getty Images
Final: Bruins 3, Panthers 1 – Boston grinds out Game 1 win over Florida without Bergeron
The Bruins will begin the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday when they host the Florida Panthers for Game 1 of the first round at TD Garden. Follow along for updates from Monday's game.
WHO: Bruins (65-12-5) vs. Panthers (42-32-8)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: TD Garden
TV: NESN, ESPN, Sportsnet
RADIO: 98.5-FM The Sports Hub
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. AT BOSTON (TV: NESN, ESPN, Sportsnet | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
Game 2: Wednesday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. AT BOSTON (TV: NESN, ESPN, Sportsnet | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
Game 3: Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. AT FLORIDA (TV: NESN, TNT, Sportsnet | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
Game 4: Sunday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m. AT FLORIDA (TV: NESN, TNT, Sportsnet 1 | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
Game 5: Wednesday, April 26 TBD AT BOSTON (TV: TBD | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
Game 6: Friday, April 28 TBD AT FLORIDA (TV: TBD | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
Game 7: Sunday, April 30 TBD AT BOSTON (TV: TBD | RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BOSTON
Brad Marchand -- Pavel Zacha -- Jake DeBrusk
Tyler Bertuzzi -- David Krejci -- David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall -- Charlie Coyle -- Trent Frederic
Nick Foligno -- Tomas Nosek -- Garnet Hathaway
Dmitry Orlov -- Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort -- Connor Clifton
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman
Scratched: Matt Grzelcyk, A.J. Greer, Jakub Lauko, Jakub Zboril, Brandon Bussi
Injured: Patrice Bergeron (illness/undisclosed)
FLORIDA
Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Anthony Duclair
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Matthew Tkachuk
Ryan Lomberg -- Eric Staal -- Sam Reinhart
Nick Cousins -- Colin White -- Givani Smith
Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal -- Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura -- Radko Gudas
Alex Lyon
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: Zac Dalpe, Casey Fitzgerald, Mike Benning, Evan Fitzpatrick
Injured: Sam Bennett (undisclosed), Patric Hornqvist (concussion), Spencer Knight (NHL/NHLPA player assistance program)
PREGAME NOTES
UPDATE: Patrice Bergeron did not partake in pregame warmup. He will not play. Linus Ullmark will start.
The Bruins, who held an optional morning skate, could be without Patrice Bergeron. He has not skated since the first period of Thursday's regular-season finale in Montreal when he left with an upper-body injury out of precaution. Don Sweeney said Sunday it's a combination of injury and illness that Bergeron is dealing with. Jim Montgomery was non-commital with the captain's status or an overall lineup projection.
"We have not only Bergeron, but a couple of guys have been under the weather," Montgomery said. "I don't have a definitive lineup for tonight. ... I'd love to come in here and tell you the exact lines and D pairings and who's starting in net. But the luxury we have, is we have incredible depth. Whoever ends up being healthy enough to go tonight, we know we're going to have an opportunity to have success if we play Bruins hockey.
"We know it's going to be a good test no matter what, no matter who's in the lineup for us because we know how good the Florida Panthers are."
Montgomery confirmed there has been a bug going around the locker room over the last 10-14 days after Sweeney said Sunday there wasn't one that he was "aware of."
Tomas Nosek did not make the trip to Montreal because of illness. Jeremy Swayman did not practice Sunday due to illness. Montgomery said Jakub Lauko lost eight pounds when he had it.
Sweeney said Sunday if Bergeron feels well, he'll go in. Montgomery echoed the sentiment on Monday. If Bergeron plays, the assumption is Trent Frederic would draw out of the lineup, Tyler Bertuzzi would bump to third-line right wing and Pavel Zacha would return to his usual spot on the left of the second unit. The above projection is based on Saturday's and Sunday's practices.
Montgomery did not commit to Linus Ullmark starting in net, saying they'll "just see how he feels." Ullmark left last Tuesday's win against Washington out of precaution but returned to practice as a full participant on Saturday and Sunday. Boston recalled Brandon Bussi from Providence on an emergency basis to serve as the third goaltender.
David Krejci, who missed the last six games due to a lower-body injury, will play. Derek Forbort will go into the lineup. He has not played since blocking a shot on March 16 in Winnipeg. Matt Grzelcyk will sit. Nick Foligno, who has been out since sustaining a lower-body injury on Feb. 28 in Calgary, is a "strong possibility" to play.
"I feel good. I feel rested. Hopefully that will help me and I can make a difference," Krejci said. "I guess all you got to do, you worry about yourself. Try to be prepared as best you can be. I think we've done a pretty good job in this room, believing in ourselves. If you do your job, you believe the guy next to you is going to do his job as well.
"It's the same thing if Bergy's in or Bergy's out, or any other guy is out. Just try to be as good as you can be, and trust the guy next to you will do the same thing."
The Panthers did not take line rushes at their morning skate on Monday, Alex Lyon was the first goaltender off the ice. Florida coach Paul Maurice confirmed the red-hot journeyman will get the start.
"He's really good. He's played really well for us. That's it. Not overthinking," Maurice told reporters. "I've got two good goaltenders. I'm comfortable with either of them, but Lyon deserves the start."
Aleksander Barkov did not skate with Florida on Sunday due to maintenance. Sam Bennett, who has been out of the lineup since March 20, made the trip to Boston, but Maurice said he's still got a ways to go.
"He needs two or three more days where he builds, then one or two heavy push days on the ice," he said. "If he gets through that, then he'll come back in."
Florida recalled Zac Dalpe from Charlotte of the AHL to be the extra forward and Evan Fitzpatrick from Florida of the ECHL to serve as the emergency third goalie.
It's the second all-time postseason meeting between the B's and Cats, who took down the Bruins in five games in 1996. The Bruins are 2-1-1 in the season series, winning 5-3, losing 5-2, winning 7-3 and losing 4-3 in overtime. Boston finished the regular season with eight wins in a row, and Florida went 6-1-1 over its last eight to clinch a playoff spot.