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Panthers are already under the Bruins skin and it shows

This didn't take long, did it?

Oct 8, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts toward the penalty box against the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Oct 8, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts toward the penalty box against the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Well, that didn’t take long now, did it? Over the last two postseasons, the Florida Panthers have got the best of the Boston Bruins, eliminating them. Two years ago, they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Black and Gold in seven games, and then last season, they took down the Black and Gold in the second round in six games.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the NHL did the Bruins no favors in terms of the schedule. They slotted Boston as Florida’s home opener Tuesday night, the night they were raising their Stanley Cup banner to the rafters. According to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Boston passed on the ceremony and you can’t blame them

Once the game started, it was clear there was still a big gap between the teams after the Panthers scored four first-period goals on their way to a 4-1 lead. They outshot and outplayed the Bruins for nearly the entire 20 minutes and were never able to recover. As the opening period went along, one thing was clear, Florida was already under the skin of Boston.

Florida already under the skin of the Bruins and it shows

In the first period, the Bruins took a pair of penalties that showed frustration was already there. Trent Frederic went after Matthew Tkachuk to fight and the Panthers' alternate captain didn’t take the bait with Frederic ending up with the only penalty. Later in the period, Nikita Zadorov took a slashing penalty out of frustration. Boston killed both penalties, even scoring a shorthanded goal by Pavel Zacha, but it didn’t matter. After the game, Frederic spoke about the Tkachuk interaction.

“I didn’t know guys did that. A little disrespectful to the game,” said Frederic.

In the second period, Max Jones and Florida’s Evan Rodrigues were engaged in a tie-up with Rodrigues’ stick up around the head of Jones. The former Anaheim Ducks forward went to slash the stick away out of frustration and ended up slashing a linesman across the arm. He ended up with an unsportsmanlike penalty. 

You could tell that frustration was growing during the game with the Bruins and it was playing right into the hands of the Panthers and they knew it. They baited Boston into penalties and although they didn’t capitalize on their power plays, they got what they wanted, a frustrated team. Boston won’t have to wait long to get another shot at them as they come to the TD Garden on Monday afternoon, Columbus Day, a 1 p.m., but unless something changes, expect more of the same. 

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