The Florida Panthers kicked off their Stanley Cup title defense with an impressive 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. Sam Bennett led the way with two goals, while Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each contributed a goal and an assist. Eetu Luostarinen and Jonah Gadjovich also found the back of the net for the Panthers, with Sergei Bobrovsky making 24 saves in goal.
Before the game, Florida raised their championship banner in front of their home crowd, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead. On the other side, Pavel Zacha, Charlie McAvoy, Trent Frederic, and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins, who had won five consecutive season openers prior to this game.
One key takeaway from the game was the goaltending decision by the Bruins, as they opted to start Joonas Korpisalo over newly re-signed Jeremy Swayman. Despite Korpisalo’s 29 saves, Panthers fans made it clear that they were hoping to see Swayman in net, chanting “We want Swayman” during the game.
The Panthers also had to deal with some physical play from the Bruins, who were looking to avenge their postseason exits at the hands of Florida in recent years. Matthew Tkachuk was a target of much of the chippiness, but even the officials weren’t safe, as Boston’s Max Jones inadvertently hit a linesman with a slash, earning a penalty in the process.
Key moments in the game came in the first period, as the Panthers scored two quick goals on two separate occasions to build an early lead. Bennett and Luostarinen scored just over a minute apart to make it 2-0, and after a Boston goal, Reinhart and Bennett struck again to extend the lead to 4-1.
Looking at the history between these two teams, this game marked the 22nd meeting between the Panthers and Bruins since the start of the 2022-23 season. The series has been incredibly even, with both teams notching 11 wins apiece and scoring a total of 74 goals each.
Next up, the Bruins will return home for a three-game homestand starting Thursday against Montreal, while the Panthers will hit the road for a four-game trip, beginning in Ottawa on Thursday. Fans can expect more exciting matchups between these two competitive teams as the season progresses.
