NHL Game Preview - Florida at Boston

Sat Apr 1, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- The Florida Panthers officially begin life as potential playoff spoilers on Saturday when they visit the Boston Bruins.

The Panthers (33-33-11) were eliminated from the playoff chase with Thursday night's 6-2 loss at Montreal that closed out an 0-3-0 road trip. Florida has five games remaining, with four of them versus teams in the playoff picture.

It starts with Boston (41-30-6), a team as much responsible for the Panthers being out of it as any other as the Bruins are a perfect 4-0-0 against Florida this season. The Panthers have scored five goals in the four games, three of them in one.

"I think it's all about pride," rookie defenseman Mike Matheson said of the remaining schedule. "I know for myself, last year when I was in the minors I would have given anything to have a game in the NHL. So knowing that, you've got to come ready to play no matter what."

Matheson, a Montreal-area native, scored one of his team's two goals on Thursday.

While the Canadiens clinched their playoff spot, the rival Bruins were winning their third in a row. Boston rode a second straight strong effort by Tuukka Rask and received a goal and an assist from the sizzling Brad Marchand en route to a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars.

The Bruins have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons and done it painfully late each time. They have allowed just two goals in three games but are anything but safe in terms of this year's tournament.

They got away with too many mistakes, particularly ones breaking out of their zone. Boston also caught a few breaks, including Dallas players -- notably ex-Bruin Tyler Seguin -- failing to cash in on major chances.

"We didn't play a great game," said Marchand, who scored his career-high 38th goal. "We got the two points, which is huge right now. But Tuukka played a great game. You have to give him a lot of credit. And (the defense) had a lot of big blocks.

"So, we have to clean it up for next game, but we do have to be happy with the two points."

The win, coupled with Toronto's victory in Nashville, kept the Bruins a point behind the Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic Division -- and Ottawa's loss in Minnesota means second place is three points away. Both Toronto and Ottawa have a game in hand on Boston.

Looking behind them, the Bruins see the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes, both winners on Thursday, three and four points behind Boston, respectively -- both with a game in hand.

The Bruins see both Ottawa and Tampa Bay at TD Garden next week, when they follow their final road game of the season, Sunday at Chicago, with three straight at home.

They face a back-to-back this weekend -- Florida at home Saturday and at Chicago Sunday in a game that actually begins in the morning Central time.

Interim coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday he will go with Rask -- his third game in five days -- against the Panthers. Anton Khudobin is likely to play Sunday for the Bruins, who are just 3-8-2 in the second game of back-to-backs.

Rask has yielded just five goals on 119 shots in the four wins over the Panthers this season, a continuation of his domination of that team. He is 19-3-1 with a 1.46 goals-against average and .951 save percentage lifetime.

The Panthers are banged up, which has been a problem all season. Aleksander Barkov, the team's leading scorer with 52 points, is out while Roberto Luongo and James Reimer are hurt, leaving Reto Berra in goal. He is 0-3-0 in five games with the Panthers this season.

"Obviously we have nothing to lose," veteran Shawn Thornton said after his team's practice in Boston Friday. "We have to be a loose bunch that plays the right way and brings some energy."

These five games will be the last of a career that has seen Thornton win Stanley Cups with both the Anaheim Ducks and Bruins. He is the Panthers' nominee for the Masterton Trophy, given to a player who shows a long-time dedication to the game. Zdeno Chara is Boston's nominee.

The Bruins will again be missing injured forwards Tim Schaller and Frank Vatrano.