Roster changes were made in advance of tonight’s game between the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes. While local media awaited word on the status of defenseman Charlie McAvoy (who took a puck to the jaw, knocking him out of Saturday night’s win in Montreal – it’s still a waiting game), GM Don Sweeney announced a movement of depth forwards, putting C/LW Johnny Beecher on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Providence Bruins (AHL), while recalling Matej Blumel and Riley Tufte from the feeder club.
Henri Jokiharju, the right-shot defenseman scratched from Saturday’s lineup in favor of Jonathan Aspirot (a left shot, imbalancing the pairings), will draw back into the lineup with McAvoy out for what could be an extended period of time.
It will be a second consecutive start for Jeremy Swayman, tonight facing Pyotr Kochetkov in the Hurricanes’ net.
The emerging question facing the Bruins is how long they can keep winning on a next-man-up basis while the injuries mount. Boston also lost Viktor Arvidsson for this game. He joins Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt, making it three of the Bruins’ top-six forwards out of the lineup. Now McAvoy is out, and the Bruins are already challenged on the right side of the defense from a depth standpoint. Even with Jordan Harris going on long-term injured reserve, Aspirot and a more-structured Mason Lohrei have given the Bruins adequate depth behind top-four left siders Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Given coach Marco Sturm’s dislike for Jokiharju’s play this season, not only evidenced by his omission from the Montreal game but a general, downward trend in the Finn’s ice time, the only other right shot on the blue line is Andrew Peeke, who is elevating just to play top-four minutes. Despite his skill limitations, Peeke has quickly won over Sturm with his relentless compete level and aggressive play. It was stated at the season’s start that the one injury the Bruins absolutely cannot overcome would be to McAvoy. It’s imperative that he comes back soon, or else Sweeney will be shopping for a right-shot journeyman defenseman just to cope. This is a bad time for Jokiharju’s stock to fall off, but tonight is an opportunity for the former first-round pick to win Sturm’s trust.
FIRST PERIOD
Old friend Mike Reilly starts the game on right defense for the Hurricanes, who with Reilly being a left shot are having the same issue as the Bruins where it comes to right-shot options on D.
Tanner Jeannot gets an early zone entry but forces a cross-ice pass.
Bruins try to be aggressive through the neutral zone, but Carolina gets the touches that lead to a quick shot from the slot by Andrei Svechnikov – save Swayman.
Jokiharju gets a pass in the slot but breaks his stick on the shot. Not going well for the 26-year-old former Buffalo Sabre.
David Pastrnak had not been getting the better of K’Andre Miller in their 1v1’s so far until he drew tripping penalty on the Carolina defenseman 7:09 into the game. Bruins to the powerplay: Blumel is on the first unit. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho take off like a jet two-on-one, but Hampus Lindholm manages to disrupt the play and maintain his balance. Jokiharju sees time on the second unit.
Jordan Staal hit Zadorov behind the Boston net, maintained the engagement until Zadorov bit and hit back, taking an interference penalty at the 11;25 mark of the first period. Carolina to the powerplay:
Bruins get the kill but in the vulnerable minute need Lohrei to make a Brad McCrimmon-like entry from the tunnel end of the bench to thwart Jackson Blake’s rush.
The Bruins almost connect at the attacking end with Mikey Eyssimont in the play.
Bruins narrowly escape when Mark Jankowski’s redirect of Taylor Hall’s disrupted carry into the slow slides wide of the right (far) post.
A play is under review with 3:08 left in the period after Tufte takes a stick to the face. No penalty.
Pastrnak almost makes something out of nothing, finding Marat Khusnudinov on a spinnorama pass, but Khusnutdinov relays it to Morgan Geekie in a bad position, and an outstretched Kochetkov is able to freeze the puck.
Jankowski gets a shove from Andrew Peeke, who didn’t like Hall’s high flip of the puck on the attempted zone entry. Across the ice, one of the Bruins almost shoved one of the Hurricanes into his team’s bench.
Shots are 9-9 after one period.
Largest roar of the game is a response to the first goal of the kiddoes’ game during first intermission.
SECOND PERIOD
Svechnikov squanders an early chance down the off wing that Peeke bothers just enough.
The Hurricanes are doing a good job picking off Boston’s stretch passes, and the Bruins find themselves scrambling here more in the second period.
Jarvis in alone, save Swayman. Made it look easy. Jarvis has both of Carolina’s best looks, but Swayman owns him so far.
Aspirot bails out Lohrei following a turnover, but a minute later Staal gets Carolina on the board at 8:25 of the second after the Bruins failed to contain a puck-protection play straight out of the 1960s. 1-0 Canes.
Zadorov bears down off wing, but his shot misses the net and hits glass.
Nikolaj Ehlers hits the post and wrings his stick in frustration.
Bruins are on the ropes here.
Second-period shots are 9-3 Carolina.
Sean Kuraly gets a lane on the off wing, but fires it into Kochetkov’s midsection.
Reilly takes a hit from Mark Kastelic to get the puck out of the Carolina zone.
Morgan Geekie skates down right wing and puts a challenging shot toward the far post that Kochetkov kicks away.
Carolina works the puck high in the zone, Swayman stops Hall, but Jankowski pots the rebound and it’s 2-0 Canes with 6:26 left in the second period.
Puck pops to Aho alone in the slot – save Swayman – still a game. Zadorov deflects Jarvis’ follow-up shot out of play. Bruins can’t wait to get to the room… 4:42 on the clock.
Hampus Lindholm almost kicked the puck under Swayman but reached around his goaltender and cleared the puck before it reached the goal line. A distinct kicking motion that would not have helped the Bruins.
Carolina is getting a penalty in the Bruins’ zone with 1:47 left in the period, as Jordan Martinook goes off for tripping. Bruins to the powerplay with an opportunity to sneak back into the game.
Jarvis in clean short-handed and pulls it around Swayman but somehow hits the post and out. The 23-year-old right winger has had more clean chances than the Bruins’ top nine.
Geekie sees a powerplay pass hit his skate and deflect over the glass, as the frustration grows.
Pastrnak with one more rush as the clocks goes under 10 seconds in the period. He manages to get a funny deflection that Mikey Eyssimont chops onto Kochetkov in the final second, but the Carolina goaltender handled it cleanly to end the period.
Second-period shots 12-7 Carolina (22-15 for the game).
THIRD PERIOD
Tufte called for icing the puck, complains.
No Jaccob Slavin for Carolina, and the Bruins are getting very little in the way of quality looks at Kochetkov.
Alexander Nikishin gets to the slot, but Swayman stops his feeble backhand.
Aspirot upsets Aho, who hits the Boston defenseman away from the puck and knocks him down. Aspirot responds with a little crosscheck, and Aho slashes Aspirot. Star players get more leeway, no doubt about it.
Zadorov gets in Gostisbehere’s face, resulting in matching minors with 12:37 left in a 2-0 game. The Bruins’ uptick in roughhouse play has jumbled the game a notch.
On the 4v4, Lohrei makes a nice maneuver to protect a pass around a tight check and skates it deep, finding Jokiharju in a shooting spot, but a Carolina stick deflects the puck out of play.
The Bruins face a three-game California swing starting Wednesday night in Anaheim and tacking a fourth road game at NYI before finally seeing home ice on Black Friday against the New York Rangers (1 pm).
These western trips haven’t been kind to the Bruins of late, and we’re past the team-bonding portion of the young season. With Elias Lindholm once again practicing, his return would be quite a boost given the game the Bruins need to play to win.
Tanner Jeannot to the penalty box with 9:06 remaining, but the officials are wearing the headset only briefly to get the right guy and it’s Fraser Minten. The frustrated TD Garden crowd initially cheered Jeannot’s exit, but that changed quickly – Minten for high-sticking. Carolina is one PPG away from emptying the stands on a school night.
Nice relay at the end of the penalty from Lindholm up to Kastelic and finally Minten, whose shot finds Kochetkov’s trapper with 6:58 left.
After the Bruins try for some downfield connections that miss, Swayman blocks away Eric Robinson’s shot on the fly.
Svechnikov to the box for hooking with 5:21. Down 2-0, this is it for the Bruins, who get a TV timeout to rest Pastrnak. The crowd has begun to thin out, but this powerplay is the only thing keeping many in the building. The situation for the Bruins has been so desperate that one wonders if Sturm has considered pulling Swayman to make it a two-man advantage.
Swayman still in net to start the powerplay…
Carolina gets the kill, and Svechnikov races in with the puck to shoot – save Swayman, and now there is a steady stream of fans leaving TD Garden.
It wasn’t meant to be tonight.
We’re packing up to head downstairs for post-mortems.
Drive safely.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 