Under coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Carolina Hurricanes have been playing a man-to-man defense for defensive-zone coverage for several years so, while most of the chatter around the Boston Bruins has focused on goaltending, the story today is the Bruins’ comparative struggles to pick up the new system installed by coach Marco Sturm and live up to what is supposed to be the strength of their roster – the back end, including the defense.
Jeremy Swayman gets his first start since Monday’s 7-goal, team-wide debacle in Ottawa against the Brady Tkachuk-less Senators. On Tuesday and Thursday, the Bruins won home games with Joonas Korpisalo not only getting his first set of consecutive starts as a Bruin but winning both with stellar, game-stealing performances.
This is how the goaltending is supposed to work. This is why GM Don Sweeney secured a competitive, veteran backup for Swayman who, while he couldn’t save the Bruins from themselves in Ottawa, has been excellent this season.
After a solid training camp, there is a lot right about Boston’s goaltending and nothing wrong.
The real story today is how well the Bruins can continue sustaining progression in playing a system that, for Carolina, is a well-oiled machine.
Now a couple of anomalies on the Carolina front: LW Nikolaj Ehlers, who signed a five-year deal in the offseason with an AAV of $8.5 million, has played 10 games this season for his new team and is looking for his first goal. Also: The Hurricanes are hitting on 9.7% of their powerplay opportunities, the worst in the 32-team NHL, but they lead the league in goals-for with 3.9 per game.
On the Boston front: You know who got his first goal of the season? Marat Khusnutdinov, on the game winner in Thursday’s overtime. The forward acquired in the deal that sent Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild, took over the center position between David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie after Elias Lindholm crashed into Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway and needed assistance leaving the rink. The word out of the Bruins camp is Lindholm will be out at least a few weeks; this is potentially great news for the Bruins after an event that seemed to hold the potential for season-ending news (ie. when players need to have support under their arms down the runway as well as to the bench, that scenario typically is a harbinger of bad things to come). Meantime, Khustnudinov has a clear-cut role, at least for now.
FIRST PERIOD
Hard checking all over the ice to start this one, but David Pastrnak twisted out of a brick-wall contact situation with Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield to put a scary trickler on Freddy Andersen. The pick dribbled wide of the left post.
Seth Jarvis, who leads Carolina with 7 goals, was left open in the slot for a one-time but missed the left post.
Khusnutdinov pounces on a rimmed puck at the left halfwall and twists it quickly to the slot for Pastrnak, whose shot is thwarted by Andersen.
Jonathan Aspirot continues to get more comfortable in that defense-depth role, and he throws down another opponent, sparking memories of Connor Clifton, albeit from the left side.
Jarvis breakaway bothered just enough by Nikita Zadorov, and Swayman steers away his shot.
The Bruins generate multiple lines of pressure and get whacks at rebounds, but Andersen holds the fort with 7:18 left in the first period – still scoreless.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi tries to turn Zadorov, who spins and pushes down the Carolina forward but takes a holding penalty with 6:29 left in the period.
Short-handed: Mark Kastelic, who had whacks at rebounds in the Bruins’ best segment of the game thus far, gets a breakaway, but Andersen reads his pull to the backhand and denies the chance.
Jackson Blake (3-5-8 in 10GP) is wide open in front, but Swayman stops the shot; 30 seconds to go on Zadorov’s penalty. Bruins get the kill, as Carolina’s league-worst powerplay takes another statistical hit.
The Hurricanes have their best shift of the game, Ehlers and Jarvis getting open looks, but Swayman and the Bruins keep knocking down the shots.
Swayman again, this time on chip shot from Bradly Nadeau at the top of the crease.
Jordan Stall stays down after a hit from Morgan Geekie inside the Boston zone. He gets back in the play and hits Geekie with anger away from the puck, then looks back toward the official as he reaches the Carolina bench.
Period ends scoreless. Shots are 10-9 Bruins after one.
In fairness to the Hurricanes, not only has Brent Burns left the team (for Colorado), both Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller are on injured reserve. That’s a lot of blue line right there. (So the Bruins are not the only team today missing core pieces to their respective puzzles.)
Also of note: Brandon Bussi, the undrafted, left-stick, late-blooming former Providence Bruin, is Carolina’s backup… really should have gotten this start, don’t you think?
SECOND PERIOD
Penalty coming on Carolina – Jarvis for holding at 1:43, but it happened much earlier. Zadorov ices the puck but the faceoff takes place in the Carolina end due to the overriding fact of the delayed penalty.
This powerplay goes nowhere, and the teams being the second period all over again… well, sort of.
After a real ragtag shift, the Bruins switch out D pairs. Fraser Minten yells and get a long pass from Charlie McAvoy, eludes the closing Carolina defense and the Bruins get a couple of shot attempts out of it.
Aspirot wins a puck from Andrei Svechnikov, but at the other end Taylor Hall has a lane to the net from the left circle – save Swayman.
That noted, there’s been nowhere near as much end-to-end action or scoring chances for either team into the midway point of the second period.
Carolina pressure, and shots are now 15-11 Hurricanes.
Brind’Amour and staff have figured something out, and the Canes are regularly picking off outlet passes from Boston defensemen and doing a better job making little plays to isolate shooters.
Pastrnak gets a chance but Andersen is also playing well as needed.
Still scoreless with 7 1/2 left in the second.
Pavel Zacha passes up a shot in prime real estate for a pass to Viktor Arvidsson, whose low-left angle is tough and cannot receive the puck cleanly anyway. That’s a tough one to leave on the table for Zacha, especially in a scoreless game approaching second intermission.
Up-and-down action becomes more intense toward the end of the period. Scary moment as Swayman leaves the net to play a puck with Carolina and Boston skaters arriving with speed, but he keeps it to a minimum and avoids trouble.
Scoreless at second intermission.
Shots after two periods: 19-15 Carolina
THIRD PERIOD
Mittelstadt carries the puck out of the Boston zone through the middle. McAvoy jumps in as a fourth forward and darts for a pass, sliding it across to Mittelstadt for the finish at the left post, and it’s 1-0 Bruins only 1:27 into the third period.
Svechnikov gets a weak shot from the slot, Swayman steers it away.
The Hurricanes, with the most goals scored in the NHL so far this season, certainly don’t want to be blanked here today. Now that the Bruins have the lead, this period should become especially entertaining.
2-0: Arvidsson fires off the rush down right wing, only one man chasing, but the right winger hits the far-side, top corner to make it a two-goal game at 5:05 of the third. Mittelstadt and McAvoy with the assists.
Chatfield beats up on Eyssimont as the Boston winger tries to achieve position at the Carolina blue line and the boards. If the Bruins aren’t leading 2-0, that’s probably an interference penalty.
Lots of action, pressure from the Hurricanes, and big counterattacking plays by the Bruins. McAvoy sprints back after a bad bounce, but Zadorov wows the crowd, ragdolling Jarvis.
Minten runs over Andersen, no malice, but the whistle blows for the net anchor with 8:58 remaining in a 2-0 game. TV timeout.
Svechnikov’s best play of the game gets him to the slot, but he rips the wrister right off Swayman’s forehead.
Down to 4:13. 2-0 Bruins.
Arvidsson and Mittelstadt combine for another scoring chance.
Aspirot continues thumping opponent, this time separating Mark Jankowski from his stick.
Defenseman Alexander Nikishin gets Carolina on the board with 2:49 remaining, and it’s a nailbiter. A delay before the faceoff. No challenge forthcoming.
Andersen to the bench with 1:15.
Carolina pressure in the final seconds. McAvoy almost tips a puck on the Boston net but makes a calm play to coral the puck behind the net, move it to Mittelstadt to Arvidsson. Prior to, Minten put a hit on a Carolina player near the penalty box, the result sending the puck slowly wide of the left post of the vacated Carolina net.
The Bruins hold on for a 2-1 win.
The 98.5 Three Stars: 1. Swayman; 2. McAvoy; 3. Mittelstadt.
The Bruins are 7-7-0.
Drive safely.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 