8th seed vs best regular-season team
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Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins - R1 G7
Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins - R1 G7
Hockey is the one major sport where any team can win a playoff series; it has the most 0-3 comeback victories. Due to this unpredictability, the Boston Bruins were "only" -320 to win against the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. The Bruins won 65 games and had 135 points, both a new record, while the Panthers made the playoffs as the final seed by 1 point.
The Panthers were not expected to win, and the first four games went as foreseen, with Boston jumping to a 3-1 series lead. At that point, it looked impossible for Florida to win, and the odds jumped to -3500 for Boston to win or +1280 for Florida. Miraculously, the Panthers would win the next three games, two of them in OT. In that last game, the Bruins were winning by one goal with two minutes left before the Panthers would tie it.
Quotes
I don't even know if 'underdog' is a right phrase for us right now, going against that talent and everything they've done this year over there. We have our hands full. We got to play very, very, very well -- if not perfect -- to win a game [in this series].
Matthew Tkachuk
It hasn't sunk in yet,...The talent they have over there in Boston is unbelievable. That we were able to do what we did after what they did all year ... the fact that we were able to beat them in the playoffs is crazy.
Matthew Tkachuk
References
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The Panthers prove the playoffs are broken. Or they don’t. A debate with myself
Yes, the Panthers’ run is a shocking underdog story based on the regular season.
The Athletic
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Florida Panthers Upset Record-Setting Boston Bruins
These Boston Bruins have not been accustomed to losing streaks. They tore through the N.H.L. during the regular season, winning 65 games, a single-season record; claiming the Presidents’ Trophy with a league-high of 135 points, 22 points clear of every other team; and outscoring their opponents by 128 goals.
The New York Times
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Panthers author 'stupefying' upset, eliminate Bruins in Game 7
Winger Carter Verhaeghe's goal 8:35 into overtime sent the Panthers into a wild celebration and left Bruins fans in stunned silence.
ESPN
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Matthew Tkachuk: Panthers more spoiler than underdog vs. Bruins
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk says he doesn't believe his team is an underdog against the Boston Bruins in their first-round playoff series -- because that label would put it too mildly.
ESPN
