SUNRISE, Fla — It was three minutes before game time when the official starting lineup was passed along press row. And the two big Bruins’ questions of the day were answered.

Was David Krejci ready for service after a 13-game layoff and a full practice in which he was the last player off the ice? Was Reilly Smith going to be benched after a woeful performance two nights back in Ottawa after recently signing a two-year, seven-million-dollar extension?

“I think the most important decision is, is a player ready?” head coach Julien said Saturday morning about Krejci’s possible — and needed return. “We can’t sugarcoat that. We’d love to have him back if he’s ready, simple as that.”

It was a “yes” to the first aforementioned question.

Julien employed a little sugarcoating regarding the Smith situation.

“We haven’t made any decisions; we need to sort it out,” Julien said about Smith. “Guys are entitled to bounce back and depend on that opportunity. There are some discussions that have to take place and decisions that need to be made, if they are made.”

Julien made his decision — and Smith might be entitled to bounce back with his opportunity — Sunday in Tampa,

“No” to that second Q.

Those decisions forced Julien to juggle his lines with a rejuvenated Daniel Paille moving up to Smith’s spot on the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. And Brian Ferlin taking Paille’s slot on the fourth line with Gregory Campbell and Max Talbot.

“We need to start winning some hockey games,” Julien said. “If you want to make the playoffs, you can’t go on losing streaks.”

Claude Julien addresses the media after Saturday’s shootout loss to the Panthers. Photo credit, Jeanine Ferreira.

Indeed, with 10 to go after Saturday’s tilt, the Bruins short-circuited an eight-game streak in which they took two points seven times to but one point in their last three games.

It did not look good to end that skid before 17,004 at BB&T Center when former Boston College standout Jimmy Hayes deflected a nifty corner pass from Dave Bolland past Tuukka Rask for his 18th of the season. It was Rask’s 60th appearance in Boston’s 72nd game.

It looked even worse when the scoreboard flashed a 2-0 Ottawa lead after the first 20 minutes against the limping Maple Leafs. An Ottawa win and a Bruins loss knots the two at 85 points each — and tied for the last playoff spot. A Florida win puts the Panthers three back in the crowded trio.

When Bolland took two to open the second, Ryan Spooner promptly fed Bergeron in the slot on the power play for a 15-foot blazer that found 5-hole on Roberto Luongo for a 1-1 game at 2:52. It was not only Bergeron’s 20th of the season, but also the sixth time in his career he has lit the lamp 20 or more times.  An assist also went to Dougie Hamilton.

Once again, it came down to the final 20 minutes of regulation. Meanwhile, up in Ottawa, it was 4-3 ‘Sens after two.

Not a ton of scoring chances, but the best went to Bolland with seven minutes left when he had an open net, only to have Rask make the paddle save coming back across the crease.

Into OT, the shots stood at 27-25 in favor of Boston.

At 3:00, Brandon Pirri broke in 2-on-1 with Bolland – Rask again saves the day for Boston.

At 1:35, Hayes had a clean break-in but the puck was a stride behind him for the offside call.

With 18 ticks, Pirri missed on a blast from the right point — and it went to the shootout.

With that lowly stat of some 13 percent of shootout shots getting to twine, Bergeron, Marchand and Ryan Spooner were all foiled by Luongo.

With Ottawa taking down Toronto, 5-3, Pirri went into a slow-mo mode on Rask before slipping a five-hole shot past Rask for the 2-1 Panthers’ win. One point closer for the Senators and Panthers to Boston’s tenuous playoff position.

“We’re having a tough time scoring goals whether it’s games or shootouts,” Julien said after. “I don’t think anyone expected us to run away with this game. It was a playoff type game. We’re disappointed with the loss.”

“We had our chances,” Bergeron said. “Now it’s 10 [games] that are huge. It’s about us being desperate and taking over. You can have solid games but this time of year you need wins.”

“At the end of the day,” Rask said, “we were a little short — again.”

Not many days left for the Black and Gold to answer the ongoing — and increasingly important questions.