Panthers vs Bruins Game 3 Prediction, Odds, Starting Goalies & Injuries

May 8, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) moves the puck as Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) defends during the first period in game two of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY SportsThe Florida Panthers are road favorites over the Boston Bruins in Game 3Boston is available as a +110 home underdog with the series tied 1-1Read below for Panthers vs Bruins Game 3 prediction, odds, starting goalies and injuries

The Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins clash in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Friday, May 10th. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET from TD Garden in Boston, with ESPN carrying the broadcast.

The series is tied 1-1 after the teams split the first two games in Florida. The Bruins took Game 1 by a score of 5-1, but the Panthers bounced back with a dominant 6-1 victory in Game 2.

Let’s dive into our Panthers vs Bruins Game 3 prediction, as we analyze the odds, starting goalies and injury report.

Panthers vs Bruins Odds – Game 3

Florida is the -130 road favorite in the Panthers vs Bruins Game 3 odds, giving the Cats an implied win probability of 56.5%.

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Odds as of May 10, 2024, at BetMGM Sportsbook. Claim the BetMGM promo code to bet on Panthers vs Bruins tonight.

Cats Bounce Back in Game 2

The Panthers are coming off a dominant 6-1 victory over the Bruins in Game 2. Florida trailed after the first period but came out strong in the second after a motivating speech from head coach Paul Maurice. They controlled play the rest of the way, finishing with a 70.5% expected goals-for rating and leading in all key analytics categories.

However, prior to Game 2, the Panthers had been outplayed in three of their previous four games. They’ve allowed opponents to generate over 11 high-danger chances in two of the last three contests. The Panthers’ defensive issues could be a concern as the series shifts to Boston.

Meanwhile, the Bruins will look to regroup quickly after the lopsided Game 2 loss. They have just one day off before returning home to host Game 3. Despite the blowout, Boston’s underlying playoff metrics are still solid.

The Bruins have a 50.4% expected goals-for rating through nine postseason games, including 54.3% over their last four. They’ve only been out-chanced in quality opportunities once in their past four games.

Starting Goalies

Goaltending will be a major storyline entering Game 3. Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has been inconsistent in his playoff career and is just 1-5 against Boston this season with an .875 save percentage. He’ll need to be much better to give Florida a chance to win on the road.

The Bruins have had Sergei Bobrovsky's number all year. #TimeToHunt | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/c6JmSWla3v

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 8, 2024

The Bruins have used both Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman in the playoffs so far. Swayman started the first two games against Florida but was pulled in Game 2 after allowing four goals on 24 shots.

Boston could turn back to Ullmark, who led the NHL with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage in the 2022-23 regular season. Not knowing which goalie to prepare for could give the Bruins an edge.

2024 NHL Playoff Bracket: Seedings, Round 1 Matchups & ScheduleRead More

Injury Report

Both teams are relatively healthy entering Game 3. The latest Bruins vs Panthers injury report is as follows:

Sam Bennett, who has been sidelined with an upper-body injury, is expected to take warmups and cold return Friday. Winger Ryan Lomberg, meanwhile, is out indefinitely with an illness.

For the Bruins, forward Danton Heinen is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, while defenseman Andrew Peeke is probable for Game 3 despite dealing with a finger issue. Forward Matthew Poitras is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Game 3 Panthers vs Bruins Prediction

The Panthers have had the Bruins’ number recently, winning three games in Boston in last year’s first-round series, including Games 5 and 7 in overtime. They also showed resilience in bouncing back from a tough Game 1 loss to dominate Game 2.

However, Bobrovsky’s .891 career save percentage against Boston is now his worst mark against any NHL team. The Bruins are also a tough out at home, as exemplified by their 26-12-7 record at TD Garden during the regular season.

The Bruins have very similar advanced metrics to Florida this postseason, and their goalies are capable of matching Bobrovsky. Boston is just 0-5 with the man advantage in Round 2 after netting six power-play tallies in the previous round.

Expected positive special teams regression, along with home-ice advantage, makes the B’s an intriguing home dog in the Friday NHL odds.

FLA vs BOS Pick:

Bruins ML (+110)

 

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