Hurricanes at Bruins

The Carolina Hurricanes have quietly marched through the season, full of preseason expectations and easily forgotten amidst the surprise that the Bruins and, to a lesser extent, the Flyers have been this season.

The Canes are without Andrei Svechnikov (lower-body injury) but have Michael Bunting and Brendan Lemieux at their first and fourth-line LW positions, respectively. Parker Wotherspoon is sitting for the Bruins as the rotation continues.

AI image by Daryl Vautour

FIRST PERIOD

Carolina starts well, but Boston’s first shift in the Canes’ zone and Jalen Chatfield got caught tripping Morgan Geekie behind the Carolina net. Bruins to the powerplay …

Good PK by Carolina, but what’s more impressive is how the Hurricanes anticipate the Bruins’ cycling plays of pouncy puck support with subtle interference plays reminiscent of the 1995 New Jersey Devils. They may not be as big and strong as that Stanley Cup squad, but they’re quick in that, when playing smart, they don’t need to look like they’re fast. They just are.

This is going to be a tough game.

Best play of Carolina’s penalty kill: Sebastian Aho beat Brad Marchand’s puck-support body block along the sideboards to get the clear.

Spencer Martin with his first big stop on Charlie Coyle charging in from the right 7:03 in. Martin would have to scramble a few times in the middle part of the period as the Bruins picked up their forechecking game. Marchand’s intensity was the catalyst, and the other lines followed.

It’s early and without adversity, but Martin does not look the part of a Jan. 19 waivers claim from a bottom-of-the-barrel team like Columbus.

Hampus Lindholm took a header standing off to the right of the Boston goal, and Carolina got a scoring chance that led to a Brandon Carlo penalty with 3:28 remaining in the period (holding the stick).

Martin Necas, sent flying (literally – Matt Grzelcyk watched him to by behind the Boston net), got up, cycle out to the left point and snuck his shot through a screen and inside the left post past Linus Ullmark for the game’s first goal, a PPG, with 1:56 left in the period.

David Pastrnak got his stick on a goalmouth tip with 37 seconds left in the period for the Bruins’ first chance in several minutes, but it missed. Then Marchand was called for hooking with 26.7 seconds left and was fortunate his tantrum did not tack on extra time.

The Hurricanes will carrying 1:34 of powerplay time into the second period.

1-0 Carolina after one, the Canes are outshooting the Bruins 10-8.

SECOND PERIOD

Journeyman forward Stefan Noesen tripped Lindholm and went off, creating a 4-on-4 for 47 seconds, followed by the Bruins powerplay.

Necas, the goal scorer in this game, tests Ullmark. Penalties over.

Brent Burns gets the post from the point, but the Bruins get a good chance from Pastrnak in the high slot, but Martin stops his wrister.

Charlie McAvoy left the game after getting hacked on his left hand in front of the Boston net. He went off the ice and right down the runway for medical attention.

Geekie to the penalty box at 10:11 of the second period. Carolina outshooting Boston, 10-2 in the second.

Bunting embellishes a hit on the end boards, no call either way, then Teuvo Teravainen scores from the slot to make it 2-0 on the power play at 11:50 of the second period.

McAvoy put a big hit on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the former Montreal Canadien who signed the offer sheet that the Habs elected not to match. Kotkaniemi hit McAvoy on the foreheck, then McAvoy connected with a stick swipe to Kotkaniemi’s legs. They exchanged words en route to the benches, just as the Bruins were perking on the attack.

Play on was the officials’ decision, and the shift ended with Brendan Lemieux going to the penalty box for upending Marchand. Bruins to the powerplay at 14:51, their first glimmer of hope in this game since some time in the opening period.

James van Riemsdyk out of the corner, but Martin is solid. Carolina kills the PIM.

Danton Heinen was isolated in a pretty relay with Trent Frederic and Jesper Boqvist, but Martin made the stop.

Great piece of hustle by Coyle to ensure icing on Carolina after Jordan Staal cleared the puck hoping Bunting would get there first.

Bruins show a pulse, but not much else, as they trail Carolina, 2-0, after two periods. A late flurry of Boston offense cut Carolina’s shots lead. It would up 13-8 for the second period, 23-16 after two.

THIRD PERIOD

Cutting this one short.

Be well everyone.