Playoff-Hungry Bruins Face Struggling Panthers in Four-Game Road Trip

Boston looks to solidify playoff position as Florida fights to stay in contention

Apr. 2, 2026 at 7:35am

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The Boston Bruins, currently holding a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, will start a four-game road trip on Thursday against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention this season.

Why it matters

The Bruins are looking to return to the playoffs after missing out last season, while the Panthers are dealing with a rash of injuries and a disappointing season after winning back-to-back titles. This matchup could have major implications for both teams' postseason hopes.

The details

The Bruins (43-24-8, 94 points) are led by David Pastrnak, who has a career-high 66 assists and 95 points. Boston has won four straight games, including a 6-3 victory over Dallas on Tuesday in which Viktor Arvidsson recorded a hat trick. The Panthers (36-35-3, 75 points), meanwhile, are dealing with a dozen players on the injured list, including defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov who were both injured in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Ottawa. Florida's star winger Brad Marchand has been out since March 6 with a lower-body injury.

  • The Bruins-Panthers matchup is on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
  • The Panthers are on the verge of being officially eliminated from playoff contention, possibly this week.

The players

David Pastrnak

The Bruins' leading scorer with a career-high 66 assists and 95 points.

Viktor Arvidsson

The Bruins forward who recorded a hat trick in their recent 6-3 win over Dallas.

Brad Marchand

The Panthers' star winger who has been out since March 6 with a lower-body injury.

Aaron Ekblad

The Panthers defenseman who was injured after taking a puck to the hand in Tuesday's game.

Dmitry Kulikov

The Panthers defenseman who was hit by a puck in the face and injured in Tuesday's game.

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What they’re saying

“We got a couple of goals, and, all of a sudden, we had juice and energy. We haven't had a lot of fun nights in the past month so this ignited our bench. We're playing for that good feeling.”

— Paul Maurice, Panthers Head Coach

“It was three easy ones. One was two inches from the goal, and the other two were empty-netters.”

— Viktor Arvidsson, Bruins Forward

“We put a lot of emphasis on being hard on each other and pushing each other. We're happy where we are, but we have a job to finish to get ready for the playoffs.”

— Viktor Arvidsson, Bruins Forward

What’s next

The Bruins will continue their four-game road trip after facing the Panthers, while the Panthers will look to avoid being officially eliminated from playoff contention in the coming days.

The takeaway

This matchup between the playoff-hungry Bruins and the struggling, injury-plagued Panthers could have major implications for both teams' postseason hopes, as Boston looks to solidify its wild-card position and Florida fights to stay in contention.