The Boston Bruins have backed themselves into quite a corner in their first-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers. After taking a 3-1 series lead, the B's failed to close out the Panthers and Games 5 & 6, forcing them to return to the TD Garden for a do-or-die Game 7. After all this team accomplished in the regular season, this isn't what fans were expecting to happen to their favorite team early in the playoffs.

While Boston has one final chance to avoid completely crashing out of the playoffs, it's safe to say that pretty much all the momentum in the series is on the Panthers side right now. Technically speaking, the Bruins may be the more talented team, but in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that doesn't guarantee much; Boston is going to have to come out and battle Florida to the death for this game.

All hope may seem lost, but the Bruins have shown that they can beat the Panthers early on in this series, and if they get back to some of the things that worked for them early on, they can extend their season by winning this huge Game 7. So with puck drop quickly approaching, let's take a look at three keys to the game for Boston if they want to come out on top.

3. The Bruins need to get bodies in front of Sergei Bobrovsky

The Panthers made an interesting decision to switch goalies in Game 4, sending Alex Lyon to the bench in favor of Sergei Bobrovsky. It's not as if Bobrovsky has been particularly great, as he's allowing 4.33 goals per game, and has a save percentage of just 88.3 percent, but he's done enough to help the Panthers win two potential elimination games, so there can't really be any complaints about his play.

Through his three games in net, it's become clear that the way to put pucks in the net is to crowd Bobrovsky and make sure he doesn't have a clear line of vision. When he has a good look at the puck, Bobrovsky isn't having any trouble repelling Boston's efforts to score. Brad Marchand had a one-on-one chance to end this series right at the end of Game 5, and David Pastrnak had a clean break on Bobrovsky to give the B's a two-goal lead midway through the third period in Game 6, but Bobrovsky shut down both attempts easily.

On the other hand, a shot like the one we saw on Brandon Carlo's disallowed goal in Game 6 that seemingly had no business finding its way into the back of the net did because Bobrovsky had no idea where the puck was. Whether it's to set a screen on Bobrovsky, or looking to tip or deflect a puck into the net, Boston has to continue making Bobrovsky uncomfortable in Game 7.

2. The Bruins need to take care of the puck, particularly in their own zone

Through six games, the Bruins have committed 70 giveaways to the Panthers, and many of Florida's goals have come off of plays where Boston has turned the puck over to them. It seems like a pretty straightforward strategy for the most part; if Boston doesn't hand-deliver the Panthers goals, they will come out on top.

Of course, it's worth noting that the Panthers lethal forecheck is forcing the issue for the Bruins, and the defense hasn't been particularly good at getting pucks out of their zone as of late. Florida is responding to Boston keeping them out of the center of their own zone by pinching heavy on the boards at the blue-line. The Bruins seem to be scared to play out of their own zone by going out through the vacant center, and it's benefitting the Panthers in a big way,

In Game 7, Boston cannot afford to be as careless with the puck as they have been in recent games. Dumping it into Florida's zone and taking an icing penalty to get a reset isn't the worst strategy sometimes either. But whichever way you cut it, if the Bruins keep giving the Panthers the puck, they are going to find themselves on vacation a lot sooner than expected.

1. The Bruins must protect their own goalie, whoever that may be

The biggest headline surrounding Game 7 for the Bruins is the goalie conundrum they have walked themselves into. Linus Ullmark was awful in Game 6 and not much better in Game 5, and the calls for Jeremy Swayman to start in Game 7 have reached an all-time high. It really feels like a lose-lose situation; Ullmark has been terrible, but is it really the right call to give Swayman his first start in the series in a do-or-die Game 7?

The problem with this being such a big issue for the Bruins is that it takes away from the bigger point; this team has to play better and protect their goalie, whether it's Ullmark or Swayman, in Game 7. The Panthers are having a ton of success operating their offense from behind the Bruins goal, and getting pucks to the center of the ice. The Bruins need to do a better job of protecting their goalie from these advantageous situations for the Panthers.

Regardless of who you are in favor of playing in Game 7, or who actually ends up in net for this game, it won't matter unless the Bruins play better in front of their goalie. Florida created dangerous chances at will in Game 6, completely neutralizing a strong offensive outing from Boston. Getting strong goalie play will help, but if the performance from the other five skaters isn't good, it won't matter who gets the nod for this pivotal game.