Regular Season, Game 36: Hurricanes at Boston Bruins

It's a special night in Boston and it's not just because the Canes are taking the ice against the Bruins. Hall of Famer Willie O'Ree, the first African-American to ever play in the NHL, is having his jersey retired and hung from the rafters in Boston tonight. This means there's going to be some extra emotion coming in for the Bruins as they honor a true legend in the world of hockey. The Bruins are scorching hot right now, winning their last five games, beating Nashville on Saturday in overtime 4-3, and are holding on to the second wild card spot. There are some heavy hitters on this team that we've grown accustomed to. Brad Marchand was just named the first star in the league last week. They, like the Canes, have special teams units that ranked in the top ten in the league. They're one of the best defensive teams in the league and they can score in bunches, as evidenced during their winning streak where they've scored at least five goals three times. The Canes are coming off a huge bounceback win on Saturday afternoon against the Vancouver Canucks. They'll be without Martin Necas as he enters COVID protocol, but they should be getting Jaccob Slavin back tonight if all goes well during the pre-game skate. This is the second meeting between these two teams this season after meeting on October 28 in Raleigh. The Canes won this game 3-0 with Frederik Andersen stopping all 33 shots he faced and adding an assist with goals scored by DeAngelo, Niederreiter, and Svechnikov to ice it. I'd imagine Andersen will get the start again tonight after the short break, while Tuukka Rask has been confirmed as the Bruins' starter tonight. I'm sure this will have a playoff feel to it, as is always the case when these two square off. It's a big night, so let's hope the Canes can overcome a tough Boston crowd and earn two points. 

1st Period

Scoring

(CAR) 3:44- Teuvo Teravainen (11) (assisted by Jaccob Slavin (18) & Tony DeAngelo (20))

(CAR) 6:03- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (8) (assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (17) & Nino Niederreiter (8)

(BOS) 11:13- Patrice Bergeron (12) PP (assisted by David Pastrnak (16) & Charlie McAvoy (19))

(CAR) 11:26- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (9) (assisted by Jaccob Slavin (19) & Derek Stepan (5))

(CAR) 16:01- Seth Jarvis (7) (unassisted)

(CAR) 16:57- Derek Stepan (5) (assisted by Jordan Martinook (6))

Thoughts

Before I get to the FIVE goals the Canes scored, I need to mention how BS it was that the penalty kill streak ended with a puck off Bergeron's skate. Otherwise, this might've been the best the team has looked at 5-on-5 this season. They got it done early and then poured it on late. Kotkaniemi scored twice, Stepan added a goal and assist, and Slavin set up two goals in his first game back. There is very little bad that happened in that period for the Canes. It's crazy the only blemish was the goal allowed to Bergeron on the penalty kill. They made life miserable for Tuukka Rask in just his second game back. The fans were booing at the end of the period, so I'm interested to see if Rask is back in the net when the second period starts. Probably the best period of the season, but this just means they have a large lead to defend. 

2nd Period

Scoring

None

Thoughts

As I expected, Boston opted to bring in Linus Ullmark to begin the period. The Bruins controlled the play for most of the second period, largely due to the three penalties the Canes took, but the period ends the same way it began. The kill, after allowing the first period goal, killed off all three disadvantages, including 1:08 of a 5-on-3 midway through the period. There were plenty of chances for the Bruins to cut into the lead, but Andersen was the best player on the ice for the period. The fact the Canes still hold a four-goal lead has to be a major win for the team heading into the last 20 minutes. The Canes had a few good shifts sprinkled into the period with one particularly long stretch in the offensive zone. The goal for the third period is similar to that of the second period. They need to shut things down, limit Boston's chances, and find a way to head home with two points. 

3rd Period

Scoring

(CAR) 3:05- Jaccob Slavin (2) PP (assisted by Tony DeAngelo (21) & Teuvo Teravainen (19))

(CAR) 7:48- Andrei Svechnikov (13) PP (assisted by Sebastian Aho (23) & Tony DeAngelo (22))

Thoughts

The Canes finished this game exactly the way they had to. They controlled the play for most of the period and capitalized on two power play opportunities to extend the lead and finish the game with seven goals. Boston never felt like they were too threatening in the third period, which is bad when you're the team trailing in the game. There's not much to say that the scoreboard doesn't painfully show with the way the Bruins played tonight. For a team coming into the game on a five-game winning streak and with all the fanfare surrounding this game, they laid a major egg tonight. 

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Tony DeAngelo (3 Assists)

DeAngelo put together a solid two-way game tonight. He eclipsed 20 assists by adding three points, including two on the power play in the third period, but also played really well defensively. He made a couple plays on Boston's stars, namely Pastrnak, late in the game. He finished as a +4 tonight and was on the ice for six of the team's seven goals. 

Second Star- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2 Goals)

Kotkaniemi had an amazing first period and he was inches away from securing a hat trick on the Canes' final power play of the night. Regardless, his two goals were extremely timely, even if it was only the first period. His rebound goal to make it 2-0 will go down as the game-winner and then his deflection goal came just 13 seconds after the Bruins scored to make it 2-1.

First Star- Jaccob Slavin (PP Goal, 2 Assists)

In his first game back from protocol, he didn't look like he'd missed a beat in the last ten days. He set up the opening goal, helped set up the second KK goal, and then added a snipe on the power play in the third period. His defensive prowess is always going to be the focus of his game, but he has an underrated offensive repertoire. He's arguably the most important player for this lineup and his presence was a welcome addition tonight. 

Final Thoughts

Before I even talk about the game tonight, I want to preface my reaction by talking about just how good the pregame ceremony for Willie O'Ree was before the game. It was a fitting tribute for a trailblazer for the game of hockey. Once the festivities subsided, the action started early. This was one of the biggest undressings the team has put together this season. It was pure domination from start to finish for the team tonight. The play of Slavin has been well-established, but Frederik Andersen had a huge night too. In two meetings with the Bruins this season, he's stopped 64 of 65 shots, allowing just the one power play goal tonight off Bergeron's skate. The kill streak came to an end at 35, but a new streak began by killing the next four in the game. The power play also won tonight, scoring twice in the third period. Everyone contributed in some way tonight. Each line had its moment. It was a near-flawless effort for 60 minutes. The team will now return home to face the New York Rangers for the first time this season. These two are at the top of the standings in the Metropolitan Division, ending the night tied with 54 points each. The Rangers will play tomorrow night against Toronto before the game, while the Canes are off until the meeting on Friday night. This is a matchup I've been waiting to see all season with all the former Rangers on the roster for the Canes. It'll be a dog fight, but now the team gets a few days off to prepare.