BREAKING: Paul Maurice Confirms Significant Update After Bruins-Panthers Game

The Bruins learned on Saturday that Aleksander Barkov would be unavailable for the Panthers in their Monday afternoon matchup between the Atlantic Division rivals.

However, as Paul Maurice revealed shortly before the game at TD Garden, Florida would also be without another star. Matthew Tkachuk will miss the second Panthers-Bruins game in less than a week due to illness, according to Florida team reporter Jameson Olive, who shared an update from Maurice. The Panthers, last season’s Stanley Cup champions, do not expect Tkachuk back until their home game against the Minnesota Wild on October 22.

Facing a Panthers team without Matthew Tkachuk is certainly a positive for the Bruins. While Tkachuk only notched one point in Florida’s six-goal performance last Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena, he was instrumental in baiting Boston into several costly penalties. The Bruins, as they’ve struggled with in the past, allowed Tkachuk’s antics to disrupt their play.

With this in mind, Jim Montgomery’s squad is in a favorable position to extend their win streak to three games on Monday. NESN’s full coverage of the afternoon matchup begins at noon ET, with puck drop at 1 p.m.