Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers: Game preview, predictions, and odds | October 8, 2024

The Boston Bruins go on the road to play the Florida Panthers in the first game of the 2024-25 NHL season. The puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.

The Bruins were eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Panthers last season. Florida, meanwhile, won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

Bruins vs Panthers: Head-to-head & key numbers

• Boston is 64-37-6-7 all-time against Florida.
• The Bruins averaged 3.2 goals per game last season.
• The Panthers allowed 2.41 goals per game last season.
• Boston allowed 2.69 goals per game last season.
• Florida averaged 3.23 goals per game last season.

Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers: Preview

The Boston Bruins signed goalie Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year, $66 million extension on Sunday and he could start the season opener despite not playing any preseason games.

In the offseason, Boston's notable moves were adding Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. The Bruins traded goalie Linus Ullmark to Ottawa but did acquire goalie Joonas Korpisalo to be the backup.

The Florida Panthers, meanwhile, had a quiet offseason after winning the Stanley Cup. The big move was re-signing Sam Reinhart, while Florida did add a pair of defensemen in Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt.

Bruins vs Panthers: Odds & Prediction

The Boston Bruins are +130 underdogs, while the Florida Panthers are -155 favorites. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals.

The first couple of games of the NHL season usually are full of rust and bad play. If Swayman does start in goal, there will be questions on how he performs given he didn't attend training camp or play in any preseason games as he was without a contract.

Ultimately, Florida is raising their Stanley Cup banner and that will give the Panthers some motivation to start the year on the right note. Sergei Bobrovsky is one of the best goalies in the NHL. He should be able to limit Boston's chances, as their offense is a bit suspect this season.

Ultimately, this will be a low-scoring game, but with questions around Swayman, this is a good spot for Florida to start the year 1-0.

Prediction: Panthers 3, Bruins 1.

Bruins vs Panthers: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Panthers ML -155

Tip 2: Under 5.5 goals -108

Tip 3: Elias Lindholm over 2+ shots on goal -190

Tip 4: First period under 1.5 goals -125