The Boston Bruins surrendered home-ice advantage after losing 6-3 to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, and they'll have to play both road games without captain Patrice Bergeron as they try to win it back on Friday.

Bergeron did not travel with the team to Florida and won't be available for Games 3 or 4, according to Boston.com's Conor Ryan.

“We believe Game 5 is likely,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told Ryan on Friday.

To add another injury woe, starting goaltender Linus Ullmark is a game-time decision after struggling for the B's in Game 2. If he can't go, it'll be Jeremy Swayman between the pipes on Friday, who was hit-or-miss in the Bruins' crease in 2022-23.

It's an absolute gut punch for a Boston team that is already dealing with the pressures of being the most successful regular season NHL team of all time. That didn't matter on Wednesday night as they were outplayed and outclassed by a pesky Florida Panthers team that has nothing to lose.

It was the Panthers who won the President's Trophy last season as the league's best regular season team, and they've been drawing on their playoff experience to battle ferociously for every puck and make the Bruins work for every inch of ice.

“I think it’s our job and go out there and have his back,” Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk said about playing without their captain. “He’s had ours his whole career. It’s tough, but we have a job to do.”

There's no reason for the Bruins to panic just yet; they weren't going to go 16-0 this postseason. But without Patrice Bergeron and Linus Ullmark, Game 3 becomes even more crucial against a spirited Florida Panthers team.

The Bruins and Panthers will hit the ice at 7:30 p.m. EST at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.