The Florida Panthers And Boston Celtics “Held Serve” At Home, Lead Their Final Rounds (2-0)

Both the Florida Panthers (14-5) so far in these ‘offs, (their superb goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed just 5 goals during the current 5 game “Fla” win skein), seeking their first title in this their 30th completed season and the Boston Celtics, bidding and now overwhelming favorites, to grab a record- breaking 18th “such,” “held serve”/won the first two games in their final rounds at home.

Now each series venue shifts, the NBA entity to Dallas (Mavericks) and a record distance from Florida to Edmonton (Oilers).

Boston, opening at home in the final round for the 18th time in 23 final round appearances is (17-5) in previous final rounds and for the 23rd time in 23 possibilities, will do no worse than lose in 6 games.

However, they very likely will do much better and win an 18th crown, which would be one more than the L.A. Lakers, who won 5 of their 17 when in Minneapolis and one of their L.A. crowns in a joke/bubble event during the pandemic in 2020.

After Bobrovsky stymied Edmonton with a superb 32 save performance, in which he had Florida’s second goal (Carter Verhaeghe had “opened”) in the Panthers’ (3-0) series opening win, Evan Rodrigues broke a (1-1) tie with 2 third period goals in Florida’s (4-1) game 2 win.

Eight of the 10 combined Florida and Edmonton final round appearances “stood” or stand at (2-0).

Jre Holiday, a big acqisition for the Celts, was the game 2 star, hitting 11 of 14 shots and scoring 26 points in the “on the #,” — (105-98) Boston game 2 win.

Boston (14-4) in home final round opening games was down (2-0) in a final round only once, that in ’69, but bounced back to win it in 7 games.

Evan Rodrigues, pictured above, was the game 2 star for the Panthers.