Panthers vs Bruins Series Prediction, Odds & Schedule

• The Boston Bruins face the Florida Panthers in the first round of the NHL playoffs
• The Bruins led the NHL with a record 135 points, while Florida claimed the second wild card in the East
• Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Game 1 on Monday night at TD Garden

The Boston Bruins aim to build on their record-setting drive to the top of the NHL standings when they face off against the Florida Panthers in the first round of this season’s NHL playoffs. The Bruins closed out their schedule with a league-record 135 points, and enter the postseason perched as strong +380 favorites in the Stanley Cup odds.

The Panthers emerged as one of the better teams in the East during a post-New Year’s resurgence that garnered them the second wild card in the conference, and a franchise-record fourth straight NHL playoff berth.

The series gets underway on Monday night at TD Garden in Boston, with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday night in Beantown.

Panthers vs Bruins Series Odds

The Bruins open their first-round series with Florida perched as massive -320 favorites in the NHL playoff series prices, while the Panthers lag as distant +250 underdogs.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook on April 14, 2023.

Panthers vs Bruins Recent History

This series marks the first postseason matchup between these Atlantic Division rivals since 1996, when Florida opened their unlikely march to the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 series win over Boston. These clubs also met four times this season, with each team earning two wins, capped by the Panthers’ 4-3 victory in Boston back on January 28.

However, the Bruins have largely dominated in head-to-head action, winning six of nine dates since November 2019. Recent clashes between these teams have tended towards high scoring, with the total averaging 8.0 during a 4-0 run for the OVER.

Florida Panthers Betting Outlook

Presidents’ Trophy winners a year ago, the Panthers appeared to be destined to finish outside the NHL playoff bracket after compiling a dismal 16-18-4 record through New Year’s Day. However, the club enjoyed an impressive turnaround, going 26-14-4 the rest of the way.

Acquired in a controversial offseason deal with the Calgary Flames, Matthew Tkachuk lived up to expectations in his first season in Florida. That was particularly true after the Holidays, with the scrappy 25-year-old racking up 66 points since New Year’s Day.

good night,

the florida panthers are 6–0–1 since this happened

oh, and are playoff bound ✅ pic.twitter.com/IdRxZIsOCm

— x – mathematics (@MathiasMejia_) April 12, 2023

Sidelined by injury back in November and December, captain Aleksander Barkov has also returned to form down the stretch, tallying 28 points in his past 19 outings. Barkov was pivotal to the team’s first-round win over Washington a year ago, recording six points in that series. However, playoff success has been fleeting. Florida has recorded just one series win since that epic march to the Cup Final in 1996, and have gone just 5-15 in 20 playoff road games since.

Boston Bruins Betting Outlook

The Bruins silenced their critics with a spectacular 17-2-0 start to their season and never looked back while compiling a 65-12-5 overall rmark, and setting an NHL record with 135 points. The Bruins were particularly dominant on home ice, going 34-4-3 at TD Garden, and allowed just 13 total goals while going 8-1-0 during their final nine home dates.

Linus Ullmark came out of the game after this: pic.twitter.com/BbhMgWdGIV

— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) April 12, 2023

Linus Ullmark claimed his spot among the ranks of the NHL’s elite goaltenders while compiling a sensational 40-6-1 record. The 29-year-old also sits as a heavy favorite in the Vezina Trophy odds after establishing league bests with a .938 save percentage and 1.89 goals against average.

However, Ullmark suffered an undisclosed injury earlier in the week that forced him to skip the team’s season finale in Montreal, and raising concerns about his fitness. Complicating matters is uncertainty over the status of veteran Patrice Bergeron, who was forced to leave Thursday’s loss to the Canadiens due to injury.

Panthers vs Bruins Series Prediction

The Bruins have performed like a well-oiled machine this season, suffering consecutive losses just twice while rewriting the NHL record book. However, the team’s reward for their dominance is a first-round clash with a resurgent Panthers squad, who have played far beyond the level of a wild card team down the stretch.

Indeed, a matchup with either the New York Islanders of Pittsburgh Penguins would have been a better fit for the injury-hobbled Bruins, who must now face a red-hot Panthers offense that has scored over four goals per game over their past eight, and enters the playoffs with no pressure.

The Pick: Bruins in 7 (+425)