2024-25 Regular Season, Game 76 Preview: Hurricanes at Boston Bruins
The Carolina Hurricanes began their four-game road trip with a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. Ben Chiarot and Marco Kasper scored 26 seconds apart midway through the first period to get Detroit out to a 2-0 lead. Jackson Blake cut into the lead early in the second after Seth Jarvis knocked down a pass, allowing the rookie to snipe it over Cam Talbot's glove. Once again, Detroit scored a quick pair. This time, they needed just 21 seconds as Patrick Kane scored on a breakaway and Michael Rasmussen tucked one from after sneaking behind the Canes' defense. Eric Robinson's deflection brought the Canes back with two as he tipped Justin Robidas' shot, earning him a point in his NHL debut. Brent Burns made it a one-goal game midway through the third as his point shot was deflected by a Red Wing, but the Canes couldn't find the equalizer. Alex DeBrincat scored a last-second empty-net goal to ice a 5-3 win for Detroit.
The Opponent: Boston Bruins (30-37-9, 69 Points- 8th in the Atlantic Division)
Last Meeting: The Bruins visited Raleigh as the Hurricanes began a four-game homestand in early March, the night before the trade deadline. The Canes won the game, but the Bruins were the more deserving team. Sebastian Aho got it going, capitalizing on a loose play to score a goal short-handed early in the first period. Late in the period, former Hurricane Morgan Geekie was on the spot to bury a rebound, tying the game at one before the break. Brent Burns scored early in the second period to restore the lead, but Geekie's second of the night early in the third knotted the game. The two seemed destined to battle into overtime, but Nikita Zadorov's stick shattered as he made a pass. Seth Jarvis was right there to pick up the loose puck and snap it past Joonas Korpisalo with 18.7 seconds left. The Canes escaped with a 3-2 victory in regulation as Pyotr Kochetkov (32 saves) stole the show.
Since We Last Met: Oh, how the might have fallen. The Bruins currently occupy the bottom spot in the Eastern Conference, thanks in large part to their ongoing ten-game losing streak. Worse yet, only one of those losses came outside of regulation. They've been outscored 46-18 during this stretch, which began shortly after losing to the Canes and right after the trade deadline. The Bruins did the unthinkable, sending captain Brad Marchand to the Panthers at the deadline after extension talks stalled. They won the two games after the break, but they haven't won since. Their offense has fallen apart. Their defense has struggled. Their goalies have turned into Swiss cheese. The empire has begun to crumble, likely leading them to a Top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. On the bright side, they still have David Pastrnak, who leads the team with 37 goals and 89 points. He has nearly double the points of his next closest teammates, which are Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie with 45 points each.
Stories of the Night
1. Freddie Needs to Be Freddie
Frederik Andersen will be in the net tonight as he tries to extend his win streak to eight starts. Andersen's recent performances are well-documented. He's allowed two or fewer goals in each of the last seven, turning in some of his best work of the season. The Bruins aren't going to the playoffs, but they'll be desperate as they try to break their losing streak. With the Canes playing the second half of a back-to-back, Boston could look to jump on them early. That's when Freddie will need to be especially sharp.
2. Capitalize on Chances
During the Bruins' ongoing losing streak, they've been outshot 301-200 in ten games. For the non-math majors in the building, that means they're allowing ten more shots per game. The Hurricanes are, famously, a team that shoots the puck from just about anywhere on the ice. This wasn't the case in the last meeting, when the Bruins outshot the Canes 34-23. However, they've allowed 30 or more shots seven times, which means there should be plenty of chances for the Canes to score. They can't let those chances pass them by.
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