Bruins vs. Panthers live score, updates, highlights from Game 7 of NHL playoff first-round series

Bruins vs. Panthers live score, updates, highlights from Game 7 of NHL playoff first-round series

The Bruins and Panthers first-round series all comes down to Sunday night. 

Boston and Florida are squaring off in Game 7 tonight to determine who is advancing to the second round.

After falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Panthers won Game 5 in overtime thanks to a Matthew Tkachuk game-winning goal and then came out on top in the Game 6 barnburner. 

MORE: Watch the 2023 NHL playoffs on TNT with Sling TV

No one anticipated the Bruins to get put on the ropes this early in the postseason, but that’s why you play the games. Their historic regular season will be put in the rearview mirror quite quickly if Boston loses in the first round. 

“Whatever happened in the first six games doesn’t matter anymore,” Bruins forward David Krejci said before the game. “This is the game you dream of playing. We’re pretty excited.”

Meanwhile, the Panthers have thrived as an underdog in this series. If Florida can pull off an upset, the club will be talked about in similar discussions with the 2019 Blue Jackets team. Columbus knocked off Tampa Bay in the first round of the postseason after the Lightning had one of the best regular seasons in NHL history. 

“These are the best games,” Panthers forward Eric Staal said before Game 7. “You always remember them. When you were a kid you always dreamed of Game 7. You didn’t talk about Game 1 when you were a kid on the pond. You were talking about Game 7.”

The winner of this game will play the Maple Leafs in the second round of the playoffs. 

NHL PLAYOFFS: FULL BRACKET | PREDICTIONS | POWER RANKINGS

The Sporting News is providing live updates and highlights from Game 7 of the Bruins-Panthers first-round series. 

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 7 score

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 7 live updates, highlights from 2023 NHL playoffs

First period

7:01 p.m.: The Panthers are heading back to the power play. Taylor Hall trips Anthony Duclair from behind with his leg and will sit for two. 

6:58 p.m.: What a shift by the Bruins after the penalty kill. Boston had the puck for nearly a full minute in the Florida zone, trying to set up Pastrnak multiple times. His best look hit Bobrovsky right in the chest. 

6:57 p.m.: Nothing doing for the Panthers on the power play. With 10:40 to go in the first, the game remains 0-0. 

6:52 p.m.: With seven seconds left on the Bruins power play, Marchand trips up Eetu Luostarinen and we’ll go to 4 on 4. Boston couldn’t get any good looks on the man advantage. Florida has four power play goals in the series, coming into Game 7 with a 23.5 success rate.  

6:50 p.m.: The first power play of the series goes to the Bruins, as Nick Cousins sits for two minutes after high-sticking Tyler Bertuzzi. Boston has nine power play goals in the series, operating at 39.1%, and have multiple power play goals in the last three games. 

6:49 p.m.: Radko Gudas knocks Brad Marchand down with a hip check, but the Boston crowd wants a trip., Marchand was trying to cut to the middle in the offensive zone, but the Panthers defenseman denied the attempt. 

6:44 p.m.: The Bruins are getting chances early. A David Krejci shot deflects just wide of the net before David Pastrnak’s long range shot is turned aside by Bobrovsky. Garnet Hathaway and Trent Frederic had a 2 on 1, but the Panthers break up the pass to Frederic. Just over three minutes in, and Boston isn’t wasting time generating offense. 

6:40 p.m.: Puck is down and Game 7 is a go. The winner moves on to the second round and the loser has its season come to a close. 

Pregame

(All times Eastern.)

6:16 p.m.: Here is how both teams are lining up for Game 7. 

Per warmups:

Marchand-Bergeron-Bertuzzi
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
Hall-Coyle-DeBrusk
Frederic-Nosek-Hathaway

Orlov-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Grzelcyk

Swayman

— Fluto Shinzawa (@FlutoShinzawa) April 30, 2023

#FlaPanthers in warmups:

Verhaeghe – Barkov – Duclair
Cousins – Bennett – Tkachuk
Luostarinen – Lundell – Reinhart
White – Staal – Dalpe

Forsling – Ekblad
Staal – Montour
Mahura – Gudas

Bobrovsky
Lyon

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) April 30, 2023

6:06 p.m.: It will be Swayman for the Bruins in Game 7. Sergei Bobrovsky, unsurprisingly, is in the crease for the Panthers. 

Jeremy Swayman vs Bobrovsky

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 30, 2023

5:45 p.m.: If the Bruins do start Jeremy Swayman as the morning skates indicated, then it will be his first start of this year’s playoffs and third career postseason start. He played the last three minutes of the Bruins’ Game 4 win, but he hasn’t started a game since Boston’s season regular season finale on April 13. 

5:30 p.m.: Neither team has officially announced their lineup ahead of Game 7, including who is starting in net. Here are the projected lines for both teams based on the morning skates. 

Based on who left the morning skate first, projecting the Bruins’ Game 7 lineup. Subject to change, as always:

Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
Hall-Coyle-Bertuzzi
Frederic-Nosek-Hathaway

Grzelcyk-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Orlov

Swayman
Ullmark

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) April 30, 2023

#FlaPanthers projected lines for G7:

Verhaeghe – Barkov – Duclair
Cousins – Bennett – Tkachuk
Luostarinen – Lundell – Reinhart
White – Staal – Dalpe

Forsling – Ekblad
Staal – Montour
Mahura – Gudas

Bobrovsky
Lyon

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) April 30, 2023

What time is Bruins vs. Panthers Game 7?

• Date: Sunday, April 30
• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

The puck for Game 7 of the Bruins vs. Panthers first-round series is at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 30. 

What channel is Bruins vs. Panthers Game 7 on today?

• TV Channel (U.S.): TNT
• TV Channel (Canada): SN, CBC, TVAS
• Live stream (U.S.): TNT app, Sling TV
• Live stream (Canada): SN NOW, CBC Gem, CBC Sports app

The Bruins vs. Panthers Game 7 is set to air live in the United States on TNT. Fans in Canada can watch the action on Sportsnet, CBC or TVA Sports for the French-speaking audience. 

For those looking to live stream the game, the TNT app is an option in the United States, in addition to Sling TV, which carries all NHL playoff games on TNT’s platforms at a great price.

In Canada, streamers can watch the game through SN NOW, CBC Gem or the CBC Sports app.

Bruins vs. Panthers Game 7 odds

• Puckline: Bruins -1.5 (+115) | Panthers +1.5 (-135)
• Moneyline: Bruins -235 | Panthers +195
• O/U: 6.5

The Bruins enter Game 7 as the favorites at home against the Panthers in the winner-take-all game. 

Odds provided by Bet 365

Bruins vs. Panthers playoff series

Published at Sun, 30 Apr 2023 23:00:00 +0000