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Bruins Must Overcome Past Against Rival Panthers To Move Forward

“It’s all about what you do in the moment and moving forward. We have the same goal this year and a different opportunity. Obviously, the goal is not to let these guys get in the way of it again.”

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AP Photo/Rhona Wise

In each of the last two years, the Boston Bruins have watched their season come to an end against the Florida Panthers.



Tonight, they’ll begin their season against their rival in Sunrise, Florida, and there’s no underselling just how important this Game 1 of 82 is for both sides.

For the Panthers, it’s one last moment to relive winning the Stanley Cup as they’ll raise their championship banner to the rafters of Amarant Bank Arena. For the Bruins, it’s a reminder that to move toward the future, they’ll have to overcome their past.

“Nothing changes the past,” Bruins captain Brad Marchand told reporters in Florida this morning. “It’s all about what you do in the moment and moving forward. We have the same goal this year and a different opportunity. Obviously, the goal is not to let these guys get in the way of it again.”

The Bruins have been unable to avoid the Panthers.

Two years ago, the top-seeded Bruins were upset by the wildcard Panthers, falling in seven games in the first round of the playoffs after putting together the best regular season in NHL history. Last season, it wasn’t nearly as competitive, as Florida chewed up Boston in six games en route to winning its first-ever championship.

As Atlantic Divison foes, they’ll play face each other four times during the regular season and, in all likelihood, will meet in the playoffs once again. Only this time, the Bruins hope to be more prepared.

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Although it was never said in so many words, the Bruins spent the entire offseason constructing a roster specifically designed to beat the Panthers at their own game. From marquee acquisitions like Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to role players such as Mark Kastelic, Max Jones, and Riley Tufte, the Bruins prioritized size and physicality.

“If they reach their thresholds, it means we can overwhelm people,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters in Florida. “Physically, territorially, and those are the two things that we are looking to be much better at. I thought we were a physical team last year, but we’re built to be more physical. We’re built to wear people down below the dots and stay in the offensive zone. That’s why we’ve tweaked what we do as a team in order to accomplish that goal.”

The newcomers will get their first taste of what has become one of the NHL’s most intense rivalries tonight. Those who have been around for the last few years need no introduction.

Marchand famously missed the final two games of last year’s series against the Panthers after suffering a concussion in Game 4 courtesy of a cheap shot by Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

“That’s part of the playoffs,” said Marchand. “I’ve said it many times. If you can knock a player out in the playoffs, that only gives your team an advantage,” said Marchand. “That happens. Teams play very physical. They’re a very physical team, and it’s part of their DNA. You don’t play this game expecting to never get hurt. I’ve been on both sides of the shots. He definitely got away with one when you see the replay, but that’s how it goes. I’m not holding any animosity. I’m going to play just as hard as I always do.”

Despite Marchand not holding any ill will toward Bennett directly, there is more than enough between the two teams themselves, even if Florida has dominated the one-sided battle.

There’s nothing the Bruins can do to change that fact. The past is in the past, and the start of the new season only puts it further in the distance.

Tonight, though, when the Panthers raise their championship banner, the past will hang over the Bruins’ heads and will continue to all season.

“It’s obviously what we want to get to,” Marchand said. “There’s a long road ahead of us, but that’s obviously the goal every year, to watch that banner rise up the following season. I guess you can use it as motivation. It’s a symbol of whatever team in the league is trying to achieve.”

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