Winners of the Presidents' Trophy last season, the Florida Panthers have stumbled to 34 points in 32 games, sitting fourth in the Atlantic Division. They are 16 points behind the division-leading Boston Bruins, who still haven't lost a regulation decision at home. Read on for our Panthers-Bruins picks and predictions.
Inconsistency has plagued the Panthers this season, but they're showing some signs of life in December with six wins in their last 10 games. Still, this is not the same Panthers team as last year's version – and they're likely going to have to fight for a playoff berth.
Coming into the season, the Boston Bruins were supposed to be treading water until star left winger Brad Marchand and standout defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned from injuries. It turned out that the Bruins were still a really good team without them, having posted a league-best 24-4-2 record in 30 games.
The Bruins' goal differential of +50 is 20 goals better than the No. 2-ranked New Jersey Devils.