2024-25 Regular Season, Game 63 Preview: Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins

The Carolina Hurricanes snapped their four-game road losing streak when they clipped the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in the Motor City on Tuesday night. The defense led the effort, and the captains showed out in front of the mentors. Jordan Martinook broke the ice late in the first period after an incredible effort from Jalen Chatfield to strip Moritz Seider of the puck, and Jordan Staal added another early in the second period after Alex Lyon misplayed a bouncing puck behind the net. Detroit got a goal back midway through the third, but that would be it. Martinook finished with two points, the penalty kill went 3-for-3, and Frederik Andersen made 24 stops to hold on for the tight victory. It was the team's first road victory since shutting out the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in late January. 

The Opponent: Boston Bruins (28-27-8, 64 Points- 7th in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting: The Bruins visited Raleigh for Halloween, and the Canes made it look like a horror movie. Jack Roslovic and Brad Marchand traded goals in the first 13 minutes before the home team opened it up in the final few minutes. Andrei Svechnikov, Jackson Blake, and Martin Necas combined for three goals in 52 seconds to turn it into a rout. Hampus Lindholm tried to make it look closer than it was in the second, scoring early to cut their deficit to two, but Svechnikov and Roslovic scored their second goals of the night 41 seconds apart to chase Jeremy Swayman before the halfway point in the period. Joonas Korpisalo relieved him, but the Canes kept pushing for offense. Sean Walker scored his first as a Hurricane, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi made it eight in the third period as the Canes cruised to an 8-2 victory. Necas finished with four points and Svechnikov had three as 12 Hurricanes found the scoresheet in the blowout.

Since We Last Met: Despite sacking Jim Montgomery early in the season, things haven't improved much for the Bruins. They're still in the playoff hunt, sitting just a few points outside of a Wild Card spot, but they've already started selling some pieces. Trent Frederik and Max Jones were sent to Edmonton on Tuesday, and other names are swirling around as the rumor mill runs wild ahead of Friday's deadline. On the ice, the product hasn't been great, entering tonight 1-5-2 in their last eight. David Pastrnak continues to be the team's brightest star, leading the team in just about every offensive category. He's tied for fourth in the league in goals (32) and points (77). Former Hurricane Morgan Geekie has played well, too, hitting 20 goals for the first time in his career. Their offense has been largely non-existent, sitting 28th in goals per game and 30th on the power play. Their defensive numbers aren't much better. Jeremy Swayman hasn't dealt with his split from Linus Ullmark well, allowing the most goals in the league (133) in 45 starts. I don't foresee Boston buying at the deadline, and it'll take a big turnaround to get them past all of the teams in front of them.

Stories of the Night

1. The Bruins are Beaten Up

Boston will visit Raleigh without three of its most important players. Captain Brad Marchand suffered an upper-body injury that will keep him out on a week-to-week basis. Hampus Lindholm had surgery to fix his fractured patella and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Charlie McAvoy is still nursing an infection in his shoulder from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Their top-end talent has been limited to David Pastrnak, which isn't ideal with the race to the postseason heating up. That's no reason to let off the game if you're the Hurricanes. This is not a team to take lightly. 

2. Stick with the Program & Set the Tone for the Homestand

I was going to make these separate points, but I figured they meant the same thing. The Canes begin a four-game homestand tonight against four quality opponents. They've won their last two games, a pair of defensive struggles against Calgary and Detroit. The offense will come back to life eventually, but winning a pair of close games feels like a positive sign after concerns about the defense. A win here gives the group something to feel good about with an extra day before the Jets fly in on Sunday. It could be a big boost for the group as they try to further separate from the Devils with their injury issues.