GDT: ECSF: Game 1 - Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins, 8pm ET, ESPN

[Leonardo87]

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(1A) Florida Panthers vs. (2A) Boston Bruins​

Game 1 : 8pm ET

**It's Game Day**

Bruins projected lineup



Brad Marchand -- Charlie Coyle -- Morgan Geekie
Jake DeBrusk -- Pavel Zacha -- David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk -- Trent Frederic -- Justin Brazeau
Johnny Beecher -- Jesper Boqvist -- Pat Maroon

Mason Lohrei -- Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon -- Kevin Shattenkirk

Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark

Scratched:
Jakub Lauko, Matt Grzelcyk
Injured:
Danton Heinen (undisclosed), Derek Forbort (undisclosed), Matthew Poitras (shoulder)



Florida Projected Line up


Vladimir Tarasenko -- Aleksander Barkov -- Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe -- Anton Lundell -- Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen -- Kevin Stenlund -- Evan Rodrigues
Nick Cousins -- Steven Lorentz -- Kyle Okposo

Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola -- Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Dmitry Kulikov

Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz

Scratched: Tobias Bjornfot, Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, Jonah Gadjovich, Evan Cormier

Injured:
Sam Bennett (upper body), Ryan Lomberg (illness)

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[Zirakzigil]

These 2 teams need cool nicknames like the Deranged Oreo Dolphins

 

[Sheppy]

I feel the Bruins are in tough here tonight.

 

[bobholly39]

I hate Boston - so this isn't me defending them. But I find it shocking how everyone has already written them off and assumes Florida is winning.

Boston is 4-0 vs Florida this season, and both teams were close all year, with Florida barely edging Boston out in the standings at the end by 1 point.

I think this is going to be a very close series that could go either way, and that likely goes 6 and possibly even 7 games.

I hope for Florida's sake their team/players isn't taking Boston as lightly as HF seems to be, or they'll be in for a rude awakening.

 

[Beezeral]

Chris Rooney getting game 1 is quite the advantage for Boston. He's been particularly rough on the Panthers this year.

 

[Bruin]

Chris Rooney getting game 1 is quite the advantage for Boston. He's been particularly rough on the Panthers this year.

How about waiting until the game starts before complaining about the officiating? Go Bruins!

 

[TD Charlie]

Chris Rooney getting game 1 is quite the advantage for Boston. He's been particularly rough on the Panthers this year.

For a time there was a stat where he was the harshest official on Boston. He is quite easily the most hated official in town here

 

[Beezeral]

For a time there was a stat where he was the harshest official on Boston. He is quite easily the most hated official in town here

Then it's a TJ Luxmore type game where who knows who will be scrwed over tonight. We just know someone will be.

 

[Idiot Stick]

panthers goin to the SCF without ever making a proper GDT

God wills it

 

[TD Charlie]

Then it's a TJ Luxmore type game where who knows who will be scrwed over tonight. We just know someone will be.

lol pretty much. Just kinda how it’s been for god knows how long. At least in the first round, when Boston got jobbed I didn’t really care because they played so poorly anyway. It sucks when you watch a team bust their ass and play well, only to get zero puck luck and have a few big calls go the other way.

With the way Boston and Florida like to play, I’m hoping that the threshold is crazy high. Otherwise we could be looking at 20pims a night combined. Let them rough each other up and see what happens first!

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Easy path for Florida back to the cup final.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Easy path for Florida back to the cup final.

I have rags/canes winning over Florida, wish I shared your optimism.

 

[BB79]

Chris Rooney getting game 1 is quite the advantage for Boston. He's been particularly rough on the Panthers this year.

He hates both teams equally then. He always screws us. It's going to be hard for him to decide who he wants to screw over worse. Poor guy

panthers goin to the SCF without ever making a proper GDT

God wills it

"We want New York/Carolina"?

 

[BB79]

How about waiting until the game starts before complaining about the officiating? Go Bruins!

What fun is that??

I hope for Florida's sake their team/players isn't taking Boston as lightly as HF seems to be, or they'll be in for a rude awakening.

I hope they're completely overlooking us. Maybe this will be the year Florida gets Bostoned. Do your thing hockey Gods (no not talking about you Marner)

 

[Machinehead]

Chris Rooney getting game 1 is quite the advantage for Boston. He's been particularly rough on the Panthers this year.

Never a good sign when you know who the official is.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I hate Boston - so this isn't me defending them. But I find it shocking how everyone has already written them off and assumes Florida is winning.

Boston is 4-0 vs Florida this season, and both teams were close all year, with Florida barely edging Boston out in the standings at the end by 1 point.

I think this is going to be a very close series that could go either way, and that likely goes 6 and possibly even 7 games.

I hope for Florida's sake their team/players isn't taking Boston as lightly as HF seems to be, or they'll be in for a rude awakening.

TBH if you asked me 2 weeks ago I'd have been nervous but the Panthers easily beat a decent Lightning team and Boston struggled mightily against Toronto, kinda changed things for me a bit. I don't think the Bruins can hang with Florida 5 v 5. I am surprised it's a 90/10 split though, I'd probably have it at 60/40 Florida.

 

[Summer Rose]

Never a good sign when you know who the official is.

But I'm a nerd and follow the careers of various officials around the league. I know most of them.

 

[Machinehead]

But I'm a nerd and follow the careers of various officials around the league. I know most of them.

That's a different story entirely.

When I'm on first-name basis with the ref, it's bad.

 

[Sticksandsun]

The only position that doesn't favor Florida by a wide margin is goalie and that may still favor them. Bruins fans just keep repeating Bob's first round save percentage and I know they didn't watch because he stood on his head for 4 of the 5 games. The only path the Bruins have to win is special teams.

 

[Summer Rose]

That's a different story entirely.

When I'm on first-name basis with the ref, it's bad.

That's fair.

To paraphrase what I was saying to a friend earlier this morning, I don't believe there's a conspiracy or bias towards specific teams in the NHL. As for a conspiracy, I don't personally believe the NHL is competent enough to subtly influence games towards a perceived preferred outcome and keep it under wraps (I feel the same about the draft lottery potentially being rigged). Now, what I will concede, because there are stats on websites such as Scouting the Refs that back it up, is that referees do possibly have a very slight bias towards the home team due to the home team having a better winning percentage with most referees. This is, however, regardless of particular referee or team, and is a phenomenon not unique to the NHL in the slightest.

 

[Sheppy]

This is weird. I typically don't mind Florida fans, so I have no idea how snarky I'll be as compared to last series against the Leafs.

 

[islesfan186]

With Boston finishing up a hard fought 7 game series against the Leafs, it could go either way. They could have some mojo carry over, or will fatigue show?

Kinda flip side for the Panthers. Will the extra time help them come out with jump, or will the down time hinder them (like last year’s cup final)?

 

[UConn126]

With Boston finishing up a hard fought 7 game series against the Leafs, it could go either way. They could have some mojo carry over, or will fatigue show?

Kinda flip side for the Panthers. Will the extra time help them come out with jump, or will the down time hinder them (like last year’s cup final)?

I think Boston will benefit from there being no expectations on them. You could tell how tense they were playing in the back half of the Toronto series. They can come out this series and just play their game, whatever happens happens.

 

[BB79]

I think Boston will benefit from there being no expectations on them. You could tell how tense they were playing in the back half of the Toronto series. They can come out this series and just play their game, whatever happens happens.

Who knows, maybe the crap scheduling gives them the advantage. They're still in fight for your life mode while Florida has been sitting around waiting. Should be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Score8]

Chris Rooney getting game 1 is quite the advantage for Boston. He's been particularly rough on the Panthers this year.

Really like his performance in the bruins/leafs series? Chris Rooney goes out of his to f*** the bruins because he’s from Boston guy is an asshat clown that tbags the bruins every chance he gets.