2025-26 Regular Season, Game 78 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes failed to claim the division crown on Sunday, nor did they receive the requisite help to get it done. They lost in the second half of their back-to-back in Ottawa. They got off to a good start, with Logan Stankoven scoring on the power play, but Dylan Cozen responded with one on the power play, and Tim Stutzle carved through the defense for a beautiful tuck to give the Senators the lead. Andrei Svechnikov scored the tying goal in the dying seconds of the opening frame to send the teams into the second tied at two. Brady Tkachuk redirected one past Frederik Andersen in the second to put the Senators back in front. They broke it open in the third. Shane Pinto snapped one on the power play, and Tkachuk added his second on a rebound. Taylor Hall tried to make it look a little closer, scoring his 300th career goal. Claude Giroux re-extended the lead back to three into the empty net, securing a 6-3 win for the Senators.

Injury Report
None that I'm aware of

The Opponent: Boston Bruins (43-26-9, 95 Points; 4th in the Atlantic Division)
Last Meeting: Convening in Boston for the second time in November, the Canes left Beantown with two more points on November 17. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jeremy Swayman went toe-to-toe through the first period, with the Canes finally breaking through midway through. Jordan Staal, with one hand on his stick, poked a chance past Swayman to finally break the ice. Mark Jankowski added another late in the period to double the lead heading into the third. Taylor Hall scored a beautiful goal to make it 3-0. Just 10 seconds away from another shutout, Riley Tutfe scored on the power play to ruin it. Instead, Kochetkov had to settle for 29 stops on 30 shots in a 3-1 win. Joel Nystrom provided two assists, his first multi-point game in the NHL. 

Since We Last Met: The Boston Bruins are almost guaranteed to be the first Wild Card team when the postseason begins. They're unlikely to move from that spot, with third in the division and the second Wild Card five points away on either side of them. In some ways, it must be a relief to know a little bit about where they stand right now. If you're talking about the Bruins, David Pastrnak is the first name you think of, and he has been as good as always this season. He has already set a personal best with 68 assists (T4th in the NHL) and is on the verge of another 100-point season, entering the night three points away (T5th). Morgan Geekie has continued to be a major force for the Bruins, leading them in goal and sitting second to Pastrnak in points, while Pavel Zacha is third with his first 60-point season. They have dealt with a few injury issues along the way, especially on defense, but they've come out of it in a good spot. They clearly like their team because they didn't do a thing to improve it at the trade deadline. Jeremy Swayman has shouldered most of the load in the net, and that is to be expected with Joonas Korpisalo struggling a little throughout the year. After winning seven of their last eight games in March, the Bruins have lost their first three contests in April, including a 2-1 overtime contest to the Flyers on Sunday.

Stories to Watch
1. Give the home crowd one more show
Tonight marks the final time the home crowd will see hockey before the postseason. With it, they'll get to see their team try to win the division on home ice, needing one point to get it done. This time, the Penguins won't have a say in the matter. It'll be all on Carolina to get it done tonight. After resting Staal and Martinook on Sunday, I'm curious if we'll see this trend continue, or if the head coach ices his entire team, knowing this is both a potential first-round preview and a chance to secure home ice for at least the first two rounds. 

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