BSJ Game Report: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 3 (2OT) - Bergeron, Krejci lines shine as B's outlast Carolina in Game 1

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-3 Game 1 win over the Hurricanes in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES: 

Bergeron bails out Boston: Through two periods of play, the Bruins dominated the Hurricanes in pretty much every statistic other than the one really matters — the scoreboard. 

Entering the second intermission, a Carolina Hurricanes team that averaged 33.3 shots on goal during the regular season failed to generate all that much against Boston — landing just nine shots on goal against Boston.

Of course, Carolina couldn’t really land too many shots on net considering how lopsided the puck-possession metrics were through the first 40 minutes — with Boston outshooting the Hurricanes, 17-6, during 5v5 play. 

And yet, for all of the quality looks Boston was able to muster against Petr Mrazek, the Bruins entered the third period stuck in a 2-2 deadlock with Carolina, due in large part to self-inflicted miscues. 

The second period was a massive fumble for Bruce Cassidy’s club, as Boston had a prime chance to build itself a two-goal cushion after Charlie Coyle gave the B’s their first lead up in Toronto at 4:38. 

Given that Carolina unsuccessfully challenged Coyle’s tally, Boston had a chance to build on its 2-1 lead after the Canes were handed a minor penalty for a delay of game. 

But, just 21 seconds into the man advantage, Carolina countered, with an awful feed from David Pastrnak getting picked off by Brock McGinn at the offensive blue line — with the Canes forward burying his shorthanded chance past Tuukka Rask to tie things up. 

It could have been a back-breaking swing of momentum for Carolina, one reinforced when Carolina secured another equalizer from Haydn Fleury at 9:39 in the third period — eventually forcing overtime. But — as has been the case for years now — Boston’s top line eventually bailed out the club, albeit a few hours later.

After no victor was determined through the first four periods of action, Patrice Bergeron and his line put an end to another potential marathon — with the B’s pivot burying a feed from David Pastrnak just 1:13 into double overtime to hand Boston a 4-3 win in Game 1. 

Bergeron's game-winner ended a stretch of overtime in which Boston generally tilted the ice in their favor, with the B's holding an 11-3 edge in scoring chances during 5v5 play. However, given the amount of chances Boston failed to capitalize on, coupled with the manner in which Carolina stayed afloat during regulation, this had the makings of another heartbreaking B's defeat.

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But not on Tuesday, with Bergeron and Co. taking a massive step forward from their lackluster showing during round-robin play. More games like this from the top-six forwards can right the ship in a hurry for a Bruins club entering Game 2 with plenty of momentum back on their side.

Changes coming? Despite Boston's victory, Bruce Cassidy could be switching around his lineup before the puck drops in Game 2 on Thursday night. The B's bench boss shouldn't tinker at all with a reenergized DeBrusk-Krejci-Kase line, but Charlie Coyle's line could see a new winger slot in for tomorrow's matchup, as Nick Ritchie didn't help his cause on Wednesday with some defensive lapses and poor showings during puck battles. Karson Kuhlman, while not nearly the same size as Ritchie, could be used to counter some of the speed that Carolina routinely throws at an opponent with every shift. Given Wednesday's prolonged contest — and the fact that Boston and Carolina will meet again Thursday night — Boston could opt for Jaroslav Halak in net in Game 2, although Cassidy won't announce such a move until Thursday morning. Stay tuned.

FOUR UP

Bergeron Line: Yes, Pastrnak’s brutal turnover on the power play was a tough hit (we’ll get to that later), but Boston’s big guns still delivered down both ends of the ice — with Pastrnak tapping home a sweet feed from Brad Marchand at 17:45 in the first period and Bergeron ending things in double overtime. 

Even if that line didn’t generate nearly as many looks as Krejci’s, Boston’s top trio also excelled as a defensive stopper against Carolina’s top line in Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. In the 8:48 of 5v5 TOI in which Bergeron and Aho were on the ice together, Boston held the edge in both scoring chances generated (7-5) and most importantly, goals scored (1-0). 

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David Krejci: For as much as his line was plagued by a lack of finish, namely from Jake DeBrusk, Krejci was a playmaking monster in this one, with the veteran center orchestrating a number of quality looks with some impressive saucer feeds. 

Along with burying a rebound past Mrazek just 59 seconds into the third period, Krejci set up at least five high-danger scoring chances by way of some filthy feeds — including a whiff by Jake DeBrusk that Krejci preemptively thought was a sure tally. If that line, now with Ondrej Kase in tow, can replicate even three-quarters of what they put together Wednesday on a consistent basis, this second line is going to be a problem for opposing clubs. 

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Joakim Nordstrom: He may not have figured into the scoring, but this was one of the best games from Nordstrom in a long, long time. Along with blocking five shots in 15:29 of ice time, Nordstrom also broke up a number of other Carolina scoring chances with a timely poke check or slide on the ice. Great work from a pretty unheralded cog in Boston's bottom-six group.

Charlie McAvoy: There were a number of strong performances on Boston's blue line today, but McAvoy far and away handled the most minutes on the afternoon — logging 33:52 of ice time in the win, which was over five minutes more than the next Bruin in Game 1. Along with his usual strong work in transition and some quality looks from the high slot, McAvoy might have made the save of the afternoon — sealing off Warren Foegele and preventing the Hurricanes winger from burying a chance past Rask in overtime. A stick tap to Torey Krug in this one as well, as the playmaker defenseman blocked four shots on goal in his 28 minutes of on-ice work, with him and his partner Brandon Carlo earning the majority of minutes against the Aho line.

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FOUR DOWN

Coyle Line: Yes, they managed to light the lamp in the second period, but those positive steps forward were negated pretty quick by this dreadful showing from Coyle’s line in the opening period.

Just a complete breakdown here from Boston’s defensive structure on this tally from Joel Edmundson, with Coyle, Bjork and Ritchie all closing in on Warren Foegele … but not actually winning the puck back against the Canes winger. From there, Carolina made quick work of Boston’s scrambling skaters, with Ritchie out in no-man’s land by the time Edmundson fired home the opening tally. Yes, this was also a BRUTAL goal from Rask, but this was an ugly look all around. 

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Carolina’s tying goal in the third was another tough look from Rask, but it was, once again, a scoring chance generated off of a miscue from Ritchie, who failed to win a puck battle earlier during Carolina's stint in the attacking zone. 

Jake DeBrusk: DeBrusk might need to burn his sticks or something, because he was plagued with some bad luck in this one. Even if he failed to bury some fantastic looks, he at least was much more engaged in this one — finding himself in Grade-A and receiving some great feeds in this one. If he keeps that up, the goals should come.

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Power Play: Carolina’s penalty kill was locked in on Wednesday, but Boston’s man advantage made things pretty easy for the Canes — with the B's failing to get much of anything past the Hurricanes' wall of skaters at the blue line. McGinn's shorthanded goal might be the headliner in Boston's power-play woes, but in total, the Bruins only managed three shots on goal in 8:13 of 5v5 TOI. 

Tuukka Rask: Regardless of the defensive shortcomings in front of him, those two tallies in regulation were both chances that Rask is going to want to have back. In total, Rask finished with 25 saves on 28 chances. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

I mean, what else?

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PARTING THOUGHTS

Methinks the NHL might want to consider setting up another set of cameras over at the Marlies’ rink? So far, we’ve had two games — and 13 periods of hockey — at Scotiabank Arena this round.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Bruce Cassidy on the Bergeron line: "We knew they’d be there and competing. And competing at a high level. And when they do that, they’re so talented and smart that they know things are going to happen for them and they did."

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins and Hurricanes will meet again on Thursday night for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m.