With an early-spring illness spreading around Boston’s locker room, the Bruins looked a bit buggy in Game 1 of their opening-round matchup against the Florida Panthers.
The Bruins felt Patrice Bergeron’s absence at certain points of Monday’s series opener, primarily with their defensive structure and checking game. They lost several puck battles in open ice and along the walls. They also struggled to generate pressure on a playoff-debuting Alex Lyon, who made a handful of dazzling stops on Trent Frederic and Tyler Bertuzzi, but allowed a leaky second-period tally from Brad Marchand.
Jim Montgomery cycled through line combinations hoping to find a spark.