How a speech from Kevin Shattenkirk lifted Bruins to a Game 7 win

Shattenkirk, who hoisted a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020, checked off plenty of boxes for Don Sweeney as an offseason target. 

Beyond his ability to add playmaking poise to Boston’s third D pair, Shattenkirk’s veteran mettle and calming presence were needed on a Bruins roster that lost established voices in Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Nick Foligno, and others last summer. 

With the Bruins repeating last year’s script by relinquishing a 3-1 series lead, Shattenkirk’s impromptu speech served as a steadying force before Boston’s grasp on the series completely slipped away.  

“At some point in time, you never know when you’re going to lean on it,” Sweeney said of Shattenkirk’s value as a veteran on Sunday. “But obviously it was a crucial moment. 

“He felt very comfortable standing up in front of that group to deliver that message and obviously it resonated for Brad to bring it up and disclose it. Good on him. It’s exactly what you hope for when you bring in players that have won, and that are craving to get back in that environment.” 

Shattenkirk is far from the only established veteran that Sweeney added to this group amid a cap-crunched season — with Boston signing James van Riemsdyk in free agency and dealing for three-time Cup champion Pat Maroon at the trade deadline. 

Maroon is no stranger to the peaks and valleys that present themselves over a long playoff push. But even with his name already etched into the Stanley Cup numerous times, Maroon acknowledged that Shattenkirk’s message resonated with him.

And with a second-round matchup against the Panthers looming, the Bruins will need to rely on their veterans more than ever if they hope to exact revenge against Florida. 

“It’s an opportunity. You don’t know when these opportunities are going to come again,” Maroon said Sunday. “And that’s the message that basically goes back to Shatty. You don’t want any regrets when you go and you’re watching TV and you’re retired and you’re looking back — and you’re like, ‘Man, I wish I had one more Game 7.’ 

“And I think this is the beauty of us playing the sport. This is why we play the game — to win as many Stanley Cups as you can, right? 

Scouting the Panthers

Jim Montgomery and the Bruins don’t need to start from scratch when it comes to crafting a game plan for the Panthers. In Florida’s first-round series win over Tampa, the Panthers used 13 players who also suited up in their playoff victory over the Bruins the previous spring. 

“Very similar team. Their depth is there,” Sweeney said of the Panthers. “They play the right way, they don’t give up a lot of scoring chances. The series should be tight. Power play is good, (Sergei) Bobrovsky has played well. [Anthony] Stolarz has played well. 

“It’s a hell of an opponent. I think we know each other pretty well — where our strengths are. It’s just going to come down to winning the small areas of the game that generally translate throughout a series and hopefully we find a way to persevere this year.” 

A heavy, punishing forecheck led by heat-seeking missiles like Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett has been a hallmark for Florida over the past two seasons.But Maroon focused more on Florida’s defensive fortitude as a hurdle — especially with Boston only averaging 2.57 goals per game against Toronto. 

“They’ve gotten a lot better over the years,” Maroon said of Florida. “They play stingy hockey, they play simple, hard, heavy hockey. They don’t really get out of their structure. It’s gonna be a good test.”

Bracing for Boston

• The Maple Leafs were just a fortuitous bounce away from beating Boston on Saturday night. But Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk wasn’t exactly anticipating a rematch with Toronto this spring. “I think, without this coming out too badly, I think we all knew it was going to be Boston the way that series was going,” Tkachuk said Sunday. 
• Panthers head coach Paul Maurice confirmed Sunday that center Sam Bennett will not play Game 1 on Monday but is considered “day to day” moving forward. The physical pivot hasn’t played since Game 2 vs. Tampa Bay after a shot from teammate Brandon Montour struck him in the hand.
• Sweeney had good news regarding the status of banged-up Bruins Andrew Peeke and Danton Heinen. “I expect everybody at some point in time to be available in this series,” Sweeney noted, without giving a definite return timeline for either skater.
• Sweeney was noncommittal about how Boston will approach its goalie rotation in this next round. “We’ll monitor where Jeremy [Swayman] is this morning coming off an amazing high. But we’re confident in both goaltenders and that’s a benefit to us,” he noted.