Florida enters Game 6 with five consecutive playoffs wins at TD Garden

The Florida Panthers will try for a second time to eliminate the Boston Bruins from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Cats and Cubs will meet for Game 6 of their second round series on Friday night in Boston, with the Bruins looking for a second straight win and to force the series back to South Florida for a seventh and deciding game.

Florida has several reasons to be confident heading into Friday’s matchup with the Bruins.

In addition to being fully healthy and having played more strong periods than they haven’t, particularly over the past four games, the Panthers have also won each of their past five playoff games at TD Garden.

When Florida takes the ice for Game 6, there is a chance that Head Coach Paul Maurice make a change or two to the forward lines.

During Thursday’s practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, the line rushes left things seemingly open ended in terms of how the group would shake out for Game 6.

Both Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett did not practice, but will play on Friday. Filling in for them was Kyle Okposo on the top line and Steven Lorentz on the second line.

Generally, players who fill in are ones who aren’t going to be in the upcoming lineup, as the players who are expected to play will skate in the spots where they’d be lining up in the game.

Skating on the fourth line during Thursday’s practice, which was centered by Kevin Stenlund, were Ryan Lomberg and Jonah Gadjovich rotating on the left and Nick Cousins on the right.

Lomberg hasn’t played since Game 1 against Tampa Bay, Cousins last played in Game 2 against Boston and Gadjovich has yet to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.

If any of them are frustrated or upset about the lack of game time, it hasn’t shown.

The vibes between the players have been immaculate all season and that did not change one the playoffs arrived.

There may be more competition to get into the lineup, and the stakes are obviously much higher with the Stanley Cup on the line, but Florida’s depth players have done everything they can to help the team win, whether or not they’re suiting up for games.

“You can sit up there and watch the practices and listen to them,” Maurice said of his depth forwards. “And there’s almost a tell of…you know those guys in the playoffs that are in and out (of the lineup due to) how they fit or how they feel, they're still chirping, right? They're completely part of it and part of the room, so they've been great.”

Here are Florida's projected lines and pairings for Game 6 against Boston:

Vladimir Tarasenko – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Evan Rodrigues

Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Stenlund – Nick Cousins

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Dmitry Kulikov

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