"A Nightmare in Raleighwood: The Bruin Master": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 9: Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins

It turns out, they still play hockey in Raleigh. After two weeks away from home, the Hurricanes returned to the Lenovo Center to kick off a four-game homestand on Thursday night against the Boston Bruins. Aiming to extend their win streak to five games, the Canes hoped to give the Bruins a fright on Halloween night. Boston has struggled lately, but their potent scorers could catch lightning in an instant, led by David Pastrnak and captain Brad Marchand.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (6:28)- Jack Roslovic (5) (Sebastian Aho (6) & Andrei Svechnikov (6))

BOS (13:11)- Brad Marchand (2) PP (David Pastrnak (3) & Elias Lindholm (4))

CAR (17:14)- Andrei Svechnikov (3) PP (Shayne Gostisbehere (4) & Martin Necas (8))

CAR (17:52)- Jackson Blake (3) (Dmitry Orlov (3) & William Carrier (2))

CAR (18:06)- Martin Necas (5) PP (Seth Jarvis (4) & Shayne Gostisbehere (5))

2nd Period

BOS (3:38)- Hampus Lindholm (2) (Marc Kastelic (4) & David Pastrnak (4))

CAR (8:51)- Andrei Svechnikov (4) PP (Seth Jarvis (5) & Martin Necas (9))

CAR (9:32)- Jack Roslovic (6) (Jordan Martinook (3))

3rd Period

CAR (7:36)- Sean Walker (1) (unassisted)

CAR (12:13)- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1) (Martin Necas (10))

My Thoughts

Do you remember a few years ago when the Hurricanes went to Boston twice and ran the Bruins out of their building both times, including the night they honored Willie O'Ree? This was that level of awesome. The only thing it's missing is Jack Edwards slowly slipping into madness as he calls all EIGHT(!) Hurricanes goals. The Hurricanes bent the Bruins over their knee and spanked them like they'd just been caught with their hands in the Halloween candy in the middle of the night. The Bruins looked largely uninterested in playing the third period. It was about on par with their effort the rest of the night. Jeremy Swayman happened to catch the Canes on the wrong night because this was the first time this season I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the opposing goalie didn't play well. Even during the Canes' wins during their road trip, the opposing goalies played out of their minds. Swayman, while not completely culpable with how poorly Boston's defense played, never stood a chance. 

Look at whatever facet of the game that you want. The Hurricanes dominated almost all of them. Power play? Three goals. Penalty kill? 4-for-5, including a 5-on-3 kill right after allowing a 5-on-3 goal seconds before. Goaltending? You bet. Star presence? While David Pastrnak had two assists and Brad Marchand scored a goal, Martin Necas had four points, Andrei Svechnikov had three, Seth Jarvis had two, and Sebastian Aho added an assist. Fun? Scoring eight goals sounds like a good time. Boston was the more physical team, but it didn't allow them to pry the momentum away from the Hurricanes. 

The first period gave the false impression that this game would be a nightmare. The sequence leading to Boston getting a ton of power-play time was about as terrifying as it gets. The Kotkaniemi double minor was not a good way to start, but the interference call against Jalen Chatfield set the wheels in motion. I thought it was a soft call, especially with the Bruins already up a man. For Marchand to get a goal as soft as the 5-on-3 goal felt like a slap in the face. Rod Brind'Amour, not happy with the interference call, compounded the issue by barking at the referees and putting the Canes back down two men for what felt like forever. Getting that kill is likely the turning point in the game. The Canes would then score three goals in 52 seconds, including a pair on the power play, to break the game open before the first intermission. 

From there, it felt like smooth sailing, outside of Hampus Lindholm's goal in the second period. It was awesome to see Sean Walker and Jesperi Kotkaniemi finally getting rewarded for their work in October by scoring their first goals of the season. Martin Necas closed his excellent first month with four more points, bringing him to ten assists and 15 points through nine games. The power play brought its production home with it after coming alive on the road. It hasn't been one guy leading the charge. It has been all 20 players pulling their weight and making sure the season starts on the right foot. The only difference tonight is that their shots were finding consistently the back of the net. That it happened against the Bruins was the icing on the cake. 

When We Meet Again- With the two teams meeting in Boston twice last season, the Bruins will visit Raleigh twice this season. Their next clash will have to wait until the Bruins return to the Lenovo Center in early March. They'll conclude their season series in Boston in early April.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Andrei Svechnikov

I don't like doubling up, but it's hard to deny how good Andrei Svechnikov's night was. Only linemate Jack Roslovic had more shots among the forwards tonight and both finished the night with two goals. Svechnikov provided the secondary assist on Roslovic's first goal before scoring twice on the power play in response to Boston's goals.

The Road Ahead- The homestand continues on Sunday night against the Washington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin and co. have been on a roll to begin the season, and Ovechkin's play has plenty to do with it. The Canes will also face the Flyers and the Penguins during their stay in Raleigh before heading back out west for a quick three-game journey against Colorado, Vegas, and Utah.