Bruins’ Convincing Game 1 Win Shows Depth Through Program – Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

Last year’s final is officially underway. With the Florida Panthers having a long layoff, the Boston Bruins are coming off a comfortable Game 7 victory two days ago. The Bruins flew down to Florida and took full advantage of a team that hadn’t played all week.
The Bruins’ deep was the best and went ahead, as they beat the Panthers 5-1. In fact, in both Game 1s, the Bruins have a 10-2 goal differential. It was a massive collective effort with a proven track record.
Swayman Remains Red Hot
The biggest question surrounding the Bruins these playoffs was whether head coach Jim Montgomery would use the tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. In the first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he used Swayman in Game 1 and Ullmark in Game 2. Then he switched back to Swayman in Game 3 and never looked back. The same question came up before Game 1 against the Florida Panthers, but Swayman got the start in the opening contest. Safe to say, that was the right call, as he has a hot hand.
Swayman finished the first round with a .950 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.49 goal-against average (GAA). He didn’t allow more than two goals at the start of last season and made sure to frustrate the Panthers in Game 1. The Panthers’ long layup didn’t seem to bother them, as they came out ready to attack the Bruins. Swayman stood tall, made a lot of key plays and did a great job of fighting pucks in traffic. He was at his best in the third period, as the Bruins were inactive to start the period. The Panthers came out desperate, outscoring the Bruins 25-8 and holding the edge in shots on goal 10-4. Swayman answered the bell and was there to save.
Swayman finished the night with a 1.00 GAA, .974 SV% and 2.31 goals against above expectations. He has been amazing and is one of the biggest stories of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The way he’s playing, the net belongs to Swayman and he’s earned the scoring rights.
Defender and Depth Leading the Offense
With the fire the Bruins have in David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, you’d think they’d be leading the way. Instead, it was the Bruins defense that led the charge. Sometimes that’s what you need in the playoffs, the unexpected or the unsung heroes to get into it.
Related: Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers Round 2 preview
Since being drafted in the first round, Mason Lohrei has gotten better and earned his spot on the roster. He is calm and was not afraid to get angry when given the chance. In fact, he was the difference in the game and scored the game-winning goal. While making a good pinch in the attacking zone, Lohrei put in a well-deserved shot over Sergei Bobrovsky.
The celebration was everything but he was not alone. It was a beautiful day for Brandon Carlo, as he welcomed a child into this world. Also, he scored an insurance goal, as he went down from Bobrovsky. As good as Bobrovsky was in the first half, these were the types of goals to beat him.
Not only did their offense stand out, but they also got the job done on the defensive side of things. When it comes to pressuring opponents, Carlo finished with a goal expectation of 0.64, and Lohrei with 0.49. In addition, they excelled in the most dangerous areas of the ice, limiting the Panthers to two shot attempts each during five-on-five plays.
The Bruins also saw forward Justin Brazeau score his first playoff goal, which helped extend the lead. Morgan Geekie scored his third of the postseason and Jake DeBrusk sealed the deal with an empty netter. The depths all around were brilliantly lit. And, when it comes to special teams, the penalty kill has always been a strong point for the Bruins.
Bruins Penalty Kill Remains Stellar
Coming into the series, the Bruins’ penalty kill was elite. They currently have a 95.2% success rate and are slowing down the Maple Leafs stars. They will have to stay in red because the Panthers have Sam Reinhart who scored 27 goals with the man advantage. In Game 1, the Bruins’ penalty kill continued where they left off in the first round.
The Bruins were good on the penalty kill, as they killed all three opportunities they gave the Panthers. The Panthers got their looks, had 15 shot attempts and six shots on goal. In addition, they produced ten scoring chances and were able to get to the most dangerous areas of the ice. Swayman stood and killed the assassins doing their job.
For the Bruins, they will want to get better by staying disciplined. They are lucky to have a stellar penalty kill but staying out of the box is important going forward.
Bruins Carrying Momentum
Momentum is a good thing to have in the playoffs and the Bruins have that. After taking Game 7 on home ice Saturday night (May 4), they dropped that momentum in Florida.
The goal is always the star and the penalty kill is the weapon. They still have some top guys who can produce, but the light depth is pretty good this time of year. Only Game 1, but this was an encouraging performance.