Boston Bruins
Game 3 Preview: Bruins-Panthers Trade Barbs; Lineup Changes
After trading punches and doing plenty of trash-talking on the ice in Game 2, the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers traded some barbs after their game-day skates ahead of Game 3 at TD Garden on Friday night.
After losing Game 2 6-1, the Bruins will have some lineup changes in Game 3, and the Panthers could also be getting one of their key players back into their lineup.
Maroon Wants Bruins ‘Pissed Off’
Boston Bruins veteran winger Pat Maroon doesn’t want his team to move on the Game 2 actions of the Florida Panthers players, specifically star winger Matthew Tkachuk after Maroon had been ejected from the game. The Panthers were taking runs at the Bruins, and Tkachuk wound up challenging Boston Bruins star winger David Pastrnak to a fight. Pastrnak obliged, and while he didn’t win the fight, he earned the respect of his teammates for standing up to the Panthers agitator.
“I think guys should be pissed off for sure,” Maroon replied when asked if he thought there would be a carryover from Game 2 and the between-the-whistles actions of the Panthers.
“That’s obviously not the way we want to play, and then obviously, you saw what happened after that, so I think guys should come out and be ready to play.”
Meanwhile, Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour explained why he taunted Brad Marchand with a licking gesture as they were being held apart in a scrum in Game 2. Marchand infamously was suspended for licking then-Tampa Bay Lightning winger Ryan Callahan in the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On tämä melkoista kielipeliä.
Brandon Montour vrs. Brad Marchand#NHLfi
— Heikki Mannonen (@HMannone) May 9, 2024
“I got a lot of texts with the licking emoji and whatnot,” Montour told reporters. “When [Marchand does] those things, you have to kind of take the joke, I guess. Maybe for the rest of his career.”
If the Bruins and Panthers wish to engage in more between-the-whistles shenanigans, they better be careful as the NHL has made it clear to both teams that, according to TSN NHL Insider Darren Dreger, will be under heavy scrutiny.
Game 3 tonight between Florida and Boston. Game 2 certainly had a nasty tone to it amplified by the Pastrnak/Tkachuk scrap. Both clubs have been told by the NHL this series will be heavily scrutinized moving forward.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 10, 2024
Boston Bruins Lineup Changes
The Boston Bruins will make some lineup changes for Game 3. Into the lineup will be winger Jakub Lauko and defenseman Andrew Peeke, and out will be defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and forward Jesper Boqvist. Here’s what the Bruins lineup is expected to look like at the faceoff at 7 p.m. ET on Friday night (TNT, MAX, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS):
Forwards
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk
Pavel Zacha – Morgan Geekie – David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk – Trent Frederic – Justin Brazeau
Jakub Lauko – John Beecher – Pat Maroon
Defensemen
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort – Andrew Peeke
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
