Bruins, Panthers head to Game 7

BOSTON — It comes down to Game 7.

Many didn’t think the best regular-season team in the NHL would need seven games to defeat its first-round opponent in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the Boston Bruins are on the brink of elimination as the Florida Panthers have become a serious adversary. The Panthers staved off elimination with a 7-5 win in Game 6 on Saturday night at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The Bruins will host Game 7 on Sunday night at TD Garden.

More: Patrice Bergeron’s return spoiled by Panthers beating Bruins to force Game 6

The Panthers have been a bigger and stronger team than the Bruins in this series, which doesn’t bode well for Game 7. However, the Bruins have the experience in these types of situations, but they need to play a cleaner game than they did in Game 6. It’s simple: win or go home. If the Panthers do prevail, it will be a catastrophic ending to a historic season for the Bruins, who have been motivated to win for their captain, Patrice Bergeron.

The Bruins were victims of their own mistakes, some bad breaks and a couple of questionable calls in Game 6. So, it comes down to one game. It doesn’t matter what’s already occurred in this series, the Bruins need to focus and win on home ice. No doubt it will be a hard-fought battle with the winner advancing to the next round.

Bergeron decided to return for one more season because he knew this team has the ability, talent and drive to produce as it did during the regular season. In fact, the Bruins remain the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup, but they haven’t been consistently sharp against the Panthers. Anything less than a Stanley Cup championship would be a huge…