2022-23 Regular Season, Game 72: Hurricanes (47-16-8) v. Boston Bruins

She wasn't the prettiest win but the Canes persevered through an onslaught from the Toronto Maple Leafs to come out on the winning side of last night's fight. Brent Burns and Jordan Staal struck in the first period but Toronto would outshoot Carolina 29-6 over the next 30 minutes, finding two goals in the second period to draw back even heading into the third. Stefan Noesen would earn a hard-working goal just before the midway point of the third period and the Canes' lead would stand until Auston Matthews scored his second goal of the night with less than three minutes to go. It was a bit of a weird goal and the fans weren't very happy. Their moods would quickly change 32 seconds later when Sebastian Aho deposited a juicy rebound into the back of the net to put the Canes out front once again. Teuvo Teravainen would find the empty net less than a minute later as the Canes held on for a 5-3 win. They were outshot 44-28 in the game as it became all about Pyotr Kochetkov. The Russian rookie stopped a career-high 41 shots to pair with multi-point nights from Aho, Martin Necas, and Jesper Fast. The Canes made the most of their opportunities and it led them to a huge win. Tonight, the top two teams in the league in points will face one another for the third and final time of the regular season, both playing the second half of a back-to-back. 

Projected Lines/Pairs

Teuvo Teravainen-Sebastian Aho-Martin Necas

Seth Jarvis-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Stefan Noesen

Jordan Martinook-Jordan Staal-Jesper Fast

Paul Stastny-Derek Stepan-Jack Drury

Jaccob Slavin-Brent Burns

Brady Skjei-Brett Pesce

Shayne Gostisbehere-Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen

Pyotr Kochetkov

Injuries/Scratches- Jesse Puljujarvi (healthy), Calvin de Haan (healthy), Dylan Coghlan (healthy),

Antti Raanta (lower-body injury; day-to-day)

IR- Andrei Svechnikov (Torn ACL), Max Pacioretty (Achilles), Ondrej Kase (concussion)

With the team playing back-to-back and winning last night, there will only be one change to the skating group as Paul Stastny will jump in for Jesse Puljujarvi. Frederik Andersen will get the start in the net after Kochetkov's brilliant performance against Toronto. Andersen was in the net for the team's win over Boston in late January. 

Tonight's Opponent: Boston Bruins (56-11-5, 117 Points, 1st in the Atlantic)

The Bruins have already locked up the Atlantic Division and they'll likely win the President's Trophy in the next few games. The Hurricanes are one of the few teams that could theoretically catch them but with a 15-point gap between the two teams entering tonight, the Canes will have to accept they won't catch the Bruins. Boston has won six straight games, outscoring their opponents 23-6 during this stretch. The last three have all been decided by one goal, including yesterday afternoon's win over Tampa Bay. The fireworks started early as Garnet Hathaway and Pat Maroon dropped the gloves nine seconds into the tilt. The first period would feature 28 minutes of penalties between the two sides and two goals scored on special teams. Patrice Bergeron would open the scoring on the power play for Boston but Victor Hedman would score short-handed less than three minutes later to tie it. The score would remain tied for most of the second period until Hathaway beat Andrei Vasilevskiy late in the period to regain the lead. Linus Ullmark dug in from there and finished the afternoon with 26 stops as Boston held on for the 2-1 victory. For as good as they've been this season, you know what to expect from Boston. They are going to annoy the life out of you and outwork you if given an inch. David Pastrnak continues to rack up goals and points, sitting in second behind McDavid in goals with 49 and fifth in points with 95. Ullmark is going to be the runaway Vezina winner with the most wins, the best save percentage, and the only under-2.00 GAA in the league. They will be without some major pieces as Bergeron will be out with an illness while Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm will miss the game with nagging injuries. 

Last Meeting v. Carolina- While Boston is the best in the league, they were the second-best when these two met in Raleigh about two months ago. Sebastian Aho opened the scoring with a breakaway goal against Ullmark. Paul Stastny scored on the power play in the second period after picking up a puck off of the endboards. Seth Jarvis would make it 3-0 early in the third after picking a defender's pocket and roofing a sweet backhand chance. Boston would get a goal back as Taylor Hall had a puck deflect in off of him. It came shortly after Hampus Lindholm lifted Aho's stick out of his hands and about 20 feet into the air to take him out of the play. Jordan Staal would score the empty-net goal while short-handed to pick up the 4-1 win. Frederik Andersen outdueled Ullmark, stopping 24 shots to earn the win. 

Boston's Starting Goalie: Jeremy Swayman (19-6-4, 2.19 GAA, .921 SV%)- While Ullmark is going to get all of the love in the Vezina race, Swayman has been just as impressive. Among qualified goalies, he's third in the league in GAA, fourth in save percentage, and he's tied for fourth with four shutouts to go with his 19 wins. He's not your typical backup and could likely start on most teams. He's been very good against the Canes in his career. He lost his only regular-season start to the Canes last season, allowing two goals on 23 shots but came into the game in relief of Ullmark this season in Boston's overtime victory. He also won three games in the postseason last season after Boston lost the first two games in the series.  

Boston Player to Watch: Pavel Zacha- After scoring nine points in ten games, the well has gone a little dry for Zacha over the last four games. Zacha is fifth on the team in goals (18), sixth in points (48), and is one of seven Bruins with 30 assists. He has three assists in the two meetings this season and the 14 points he's scored against the Canes in his career are his third-most against any team. This would be a perfect time for him to break his streak.  

Scoring Summary

1st Period

(BOS) 4:43- David Pastrnak (50) (assisted by Charlie McAvoy (40) & Dmitry Orlov (26)

2nd Period

(CAR) 7:44- Jack Drury (2) (assisted by Jalen Chatfield (8) & Shayne Gostisbehere (26))

(BOS) 9:12- David Pastrnak (51) PP (assisted by Pavel Zacha (31) & Charlie McAvoy (41))

(BOS) 11:46- Jakub Lauko (4) (assisted by Tomas Nosek (9) & Matt Grzelcyk (21))

3rd Period

(CAR) 1:37- Brady Skjei (16) (assisted by Martin Necas (42) & Brett Pesce (23))

(CAR) 3:44- Sebastian Aho (33) (assisted by Jordan Martinook (20) & Brett Pesce (24))

Overtime

None

Shootout

Round 1

Brent Burns is stopped by Jeremy Swayman

Charlie Coyle scores on Frederik Andersen (BOS 1-0)

Round 2

Teuvo Teravainen is stopped by Jeremy Swayman

Jake DeBrusk scores on Frederik Andersen (BOS 2-0)

Let's Talk About the Game

You could probably write a lot of the same stuff about tonight's game that we did about last night's game. The Hurricanes had good stretches, especially in the third period, but they were largely the second-best team on the ice for even longer stretches tonight. While it didn't kill them last night, the Canes didn't do themselves any favors by playing from behind for almost the entire game. Against a team like Boston, the hill to climb back into it feels more like a mountain and that's with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Taylor Hall, and Hampus Lindholm in the lineup. Even without their starts, this is an incredibly deep team. I'd almost forgotten they'd acquired Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi at the trade deadline and any night you have David Pastrnak in the lineup, your team stands a good chance of winning. He would get the scoring started in the game as he flubbed his shot on a breakaway but it had enough momentum to beat Frederik Andersen between his pads to notch his 50th goal of the season. Things got interesting very quickly after that. Stefan Noesen had a goal taken off of the board thanks to the fact that his stick was way over the crossbar when he redirected it. Charlie McAvoy took a Bertuzzi goal away because he decided to jump on Jordan Martinook as if he were going to DDT him. What was a tap-in goal turned into a power play for the Canes that would ultimately come up empty. It was very evident early that Boston was not going to give the Canes an inch tonight. They were taking the puck away every time the Canes entered the neutral zone and turned it into chances for them. Poor Jake DeBrusk was the biggest victim of the period as Andersen took away three or four goals he could've scored in the first 20 minutes. Instead, the Canes were down by just one goal entering the second. 

The Canes fought back to start the second period. After not finding the back of the net in the first period, the fourth line changed that. Jalen Chatfield found a perfect seam in the defense and placed the puck perfectly on the stick of Jack Drury. With very little hesitation, Drury redirected the pass and managed to fool Jeremy Swayman just enough to tie things up. The good times did not last. Teuvo Teravainen was called for a penalty and on the ensuing chance, Pastrnak managed to squeeze a one-timer under the pads of Andersen to give Boston the lead again less than 90 seconds later. If we're being honest, this wasn't a good goal for Andersen to allow. While Pastrnak is always dangerous, he doesn't get a lot on this shot as the pure action of Andersen moving from left to right lifts his right pad just enough for the puck to find some daylight. Though that goal was allowed to one of the premier goal-scorers in the league, Boston's next goal seemed to materialize out of nothing. Jakub Lauko moved into the zone with some speed, stopped, and just fired it past an unsuspecting Andersen to push the lead to 3-1. This was another bad goal allowed by the Canes' netminder and it made the game feel like Boston's all the way. Swayman had to remain on his game as he made a huge paddle save on a rebound chance shortly after the Lauko goal. The second period would end with Boston controlling the momentum and looking like they were going to run away with it. 

Something must've switched in the brains of the Hurricanes because the team that came out in the third period looked like a team possessed. Known sniper Brady Skjei would get the good guys a little closer early in the period. Martin Necas missed the net wide and the puck found its way to the point for Skjei. Almost as soon as it found his stick, it was wired over the glove of Swayman to bring the Caniacs to their feet and put the team on the ice back within one goal. The tying goal wasn't far behind as Jordan Martinook, having swapped places with Teravainen in the second period, hit Aho with a pass from the corner on the doorstep for a tap-in to even things up 3:44 into the period. In less than four minutes, the Canes had generated almost as many quality chances as they had in the first two periods and it turned this into a very different game. From there, the goalies took control. Swayman would deny a couple of tight chances from the Canes. Andersen made a huge sprawling save on David Krejci from within the crease. Jesper Fast would miss an open net in the final minutes and Brett Pesce would put a rebound just wide as the horn sounded and the game headed into overtime with the Canes picking up a huge point. The chances favored Boston in overtime, outshooting the Canes 5-2 during the five minutes, but Andersen was on something else. He stood on his head to deny all five shots and with Swayman holding steady on the other end, the two sides would need a shootout. There'd be no drama in the shootout as Swayman denied both Brent Burns and Teravainein while Charlie Coyle and DeBrusk beat Andersen to take the second point. 

We could focus on the poor things that happened tonight but there are a few clear silver linings that we need to discuss. By my non-exact math, the Hurricanes currently have the best point percentage against the Boston Bruins this season, picking up four of a possible six points (.667) in three meetings and they have a +1 goal differential. The Bruins never defeated the Hurricanes in regulation, needing extra time for both of their wins in the season series. I know the analogy with horseshoes and hand grenades could apply in this situation but there isn't a shootout in the playoffs. The Canes met the challenge that Boston threw at them for three games and recorded a point in all three. They also picked up a huge point, even if they were unable to get the second. With two games in hand over New Jersey heading into this game, the Canes needed to make the most of this extra game. They did exactly that by pushing their lead to three points with a game still in hand. Now, Andersen had a tough night, allowing three goals he definitely could've stopped but he also made some huge stops down the stretch to make sure the Canes earned their consolation point. The blueline was huge again tonight, contributing a goal and five points with Brett Pesce finishing the night with two assists, the Canes' only multi-point man in the game. The team's stars stepped up to make sure they got back into this game with Aho extending his goal streak to three games. They're almost on the other end of this tough homestand, needing a strong effort on Tuesday night to give them a push. 

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Jack Drury (Goal)

You'll notice a theme between these three players. I'm starting with Drury for getting the Canes on the board with his second of the season. He tied for the team lead in shots with six with plenty of chances to get another goal but the one he did score was big. He also made a huge block late in the third period to possibly save the go-ahead goal. Drury found his spot and was rewarded while wearing the same jersey his father used to play in. 

Second Star- Brady Skjei (Goal)

Moving to the second goal-scorer, Skjei's goal early in the third period set the tone for the Canes coming out of the locker room. Having to erase a two-goal deficit isn't easy but it's much more manageable when you get started early. He led the team in ice time tonight, playing 23:33, and he led the defense with four shots. Add that he and Pesce were both +2 for the night and I'd say it was a good one for the second pair. 

First Star- Sebastian Aho (Goal)

Lastly, we come to the straw that stirs the team's drink as Aho found more third-period heroics tonight. All the credit in the world should probably go to Martinook for this phenomenal pass as Aho won a race to the front of the net to tie things up early in the period. He's scored in three straight games now as he continues to find the back of the net late in the season with six goals in his last five games. 

What's Next for the Canes

It'll be another busy week for the team, playing four games over the next seven days. It starts with the homestand coming to an end on Tuesday night with the Tampa Bay Lightning coming into town. Tampa Bay will have been off for the last two days, last playing on Saturday in a 2-1 losing effort to the Bruins. They've lost four straight and are in desperate need of a win. They'll then play another segment of three games in four days, beginning on Thursday night in Detroit to finish the month of March. They'll kick April off in grand fashion with a back-to-back on the first two days with travel. It'll begin on April Fool's Day in Montreal on Saturday night before the team returns home for their final divisional game of the season against the New York Islanders on Sunday. 

What's Next for the Teams in the Playoff Hunt

New Jersey (100 Points, 3 Points behind the Canes for 1st)

The Devils' week ahead- Monday at New York (I), Thursday v. New York (R), Saturday at Chicago, and Sunday at Winnipeg. 

New York (R) (96 Points, 3rd in the Metro)

The Rangers' week ahead- Tuesday v. Columbus, Thursday at New Jersey, Friday at Buffalo, Sunday at Washington

New York (I) (83 Points, 1st Wild Card)

The Islanders' week ahead- Monday v. New Jersey, Wednesday at Washington, Saturday at Tampa Bay, Sunday at Carolina

Pittsburgh (82 Points, 2nd Wild Card)

The Penguins' week ahead- Tuesday at Detroit, Thursday v. Nashville, Saturday v. Boston, Sunday v. Philadelphia

Florida (79 Points, 3 Points out of the playoffs)

The Panthers' week ahead- Monday at Ottawa, Wednesday at Toronto, Thursday at Montreal, Saturday at Columbus