The Florida Panthers have drawn a very tough first round opponent in the Boston Bruins (maybe the toughest) and certainly have an uphill battle on their hands.
The Big Bad Bruins have lived up to their moniker this season, going an impressive 65-12-5. They literally won more regular season games than any other team in NHL history. They are as the kids today say, “an absolute unit.”
But sometimes those high expeditions can work against you in the postseason. The NHL has plenty of examples of teams having fantastic regular seasons, only to under-perform in the playoffs. Heck, think about the Cats last year…
Boston’s lineup is solid from top to bottom. With important pieces like Bennet’s status still up in the air, Hornqvist injured, and Bob most likely out, Florida will need to not only be on top of their game, but also hope that the B’s faulter — let’s face it, the pressure is all on Boston.
For me, the key to Florida’s success this series will be in net. No surprises here as your goalie typically needs to be your best player in the playoffs, but we know the offense can take care of itself and that the blueline is what it is: Swiss cheese. But can a team that allows an average of 3.32 goals against and with a goalie who has zero playoff experience (and not much regular season experience) in Lyon, hold up against a juggernaut like Boston? It’s going to be interesting…
As this
NHL article points out:
“
If the goaltending holds. The Panthers have gotten a surprising boost from Lyon, but he has never played in the playoffs and doesn't have a lot of experience overall. He's a journeyman, but any goalie can get hot, and if he does the Panthers have a shot. They need to be able to rely on either him or Bobrovsky, who comes in with 51 games of playoff experience (46 starts) and a bit more of a resume.“
I expect Matthew Tkachuk to have a big series, possibly putting the Cats on his back and leading the charge in both grit and offense.
While I’m nervous, I also cannot wait for this game to start! A #1 seed versus a team that barely scraped into a WC spot is about as David and Goliath as it gets and Cats fans are here for it!
LET’S GO ALREADY!
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GO PANTHERS!
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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