Boston Bruins 2015-16 Division Rivalry: Florida Panthers
Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
With the 2015-16 season approaching, it seems fitting to touch-base and size up the Bruins in comparison to each of their division rivals. The Boston Bruins had a mixed result when playing within their division, and this series of stories will explain what the Bruins have to do, and have to avoid to succeed within the Atlantic Division in the 2015-16 season. The sixth team to be analyzed will be the Florida Panthers.
The 2014-15 season was a rough one for the Boston Bruins, mixed with injuries, bad cap-management, and really just poor-effort almost all the way around, which led to the first missed playoffs since the 2006-07 season for the Bruins. The Bruins played well against the Florida Panthers during the 2014-15 season, and skated away with points in three out of four games, with two wins. The Panthers are one of the youngest teams in the Atlantic division and will be looking to build on their success from last season and fight for a playoff spot in 2015-16.
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With a very young and very skilled lineup, the Florida Panthers showed that they were not to be taken lightly, especially with the emergence of players such as Nick Bjugstad and Brandon Pirri at forward, combined with the 2013 2nd overall pick Aleksander Barkov and 2014 1st overall pick Aaron Ekblad. With so many talented players on the roster, the Panthers should be a hard obstacle for the Bruins when they compete in 2015-16, but that doesn’t mean they will be unstoppable.
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The Boston Bruins have one advantage on the Florida Panthers when it comes to their season series, and that is their experience when playing against goaltender Roberto Luongo. Similarly to how the Montreal Canadiens get in the head of Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, the Boston Bruins are the one team that seems makes Roberto Luongo uneasy. With an uneasy goaltender on the other end of the ice, and with very poor depth at the goaltending position in general, the Bruins should be well equipped to take points from the Panthers next season.
As mentioned, the Panthers have a lot of young, and talented forwards. As expected when playing against young players, there are bound to be mistakes in their game. With veterans like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, among others, the Bruins have the clear advantage when it comes to skilled players with experience. The Panthers players for the most part are entering their prime years as players, and while the inexperience won’t be enough to cost them games, it could be enough for the Bruins to steal games.
The Bruins will need to be wary of the Florida Panthers next season if they want to make the playoffs in the 2015-16 season as every single division game could be the make-or-break game when it comes to playing in May or sitting at home wondering what went wrong throughout the season. The Panthers have only gotten better since the last time they played the Bruins, and with four points being won by the Panthers in the 2014-15 season, the Bruins would be wise to prepare for a tough series in the 2015-16 season.
What do YOU think the Bruins will have to do to succeed against the Florida Panthers this season? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Find out how the Bruins can succeed against the Montreal Canadiens here, the Toronto Maple Leafs here, the Detroit Red Wings here, the Buffalo Sabres here, and the Ottawa Senators here!
Next up: Tampa Bay Lightning