BSJ Game Report: Hurricanes 6, Bruins 0 - Shorthanded Bruins completely out-classed

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 6-0 loss to the Hurricanes with  complete with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

All but inevitable

What do you get when you take a top-heavy roster, subtract its top-line center and top offensive winger, and set them against a premier power in the Eastern Conference?

Unfortunately, you get a game like tonight. 

Yes, the confidence wasn’t all that high going into Thursday night’s contest against Carolina — not with both Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand out of commission.

But during a stretch of the season in which the Bruins are well aware that they might need to tread water, the optics of Thursday’s 6-0 blowout loss is still pretty rough.

Yes, the Canes are an elite squad that absolutely had a bone to pick after getting knocked around by Ottawa earlier this week, but the lack of a real pushback from the B’s is pretty concerning. 

Be it repeated ugly D-zone sequences in which Carolina more or less had its way against Boston — or multiple lineup regulars failing to make the most of the extra minutes handed to them — there were next to no silver linings to take away from what was by and large a scheduled loss.  

Carolina continues to torment Boston

You think this Carolina club is still bitter about getting two promising Cup runs halted by Boston? Yep, the Bruins were seriously shorthanded in this one, we know. And Carolina is absolutely loaded. 

But these games haven’t been remotely close all season long, even when Boston had its full complement of star talent sprinkled throughout the lineup.

In three games now, the Hurricanes have outscored the Bruins by a 16-1 margin — with former Maple Leafs punching bag Frederik Andersen stopping 98 of 99 shots in those three outings. 

Even when things were going well for Boston earlier this season, the one fault that was easy to find with this roster was its inability to hang in the ring against some of the top heavyweights across the league. 

Yet another Carolina thrashing certainly won’t change that narrative. 

B’s lose Grzelcyk

To add injury to insult, the Bruins exited the game without one of their few proven regulars on the blue line, as Matt Grzelcyk exited the contest in the closing minutes of the second period with an upper-body injury. 

On a night in which most of Boston’s blue line was absolutely pummeled by Carolina, it’s a tough pill to swallow if half of its lethal top pairing is going to miss some time. 

ONE UP

Charlie McAvoy: One of the few franchise pillars still in the B’s lineup at the moment, McAvoy did what he could to try to spark his club for most of the night — landing a couple of heavy checks and logging over 22 minutes of ice time. Pretty dumb that he had to answer for a clean hit against Sebastian Aho, but good on McAvoy for at least answering Tony DeAngelo’s challenge. 

FOUR DOWN

Trent Frederic: He had a Grade-A look in the closing minutes of the first, but Frederic still put his team in an early hole thanks to a pointless O-zone crosschecking penalty. Carolina capitalized right away, with Vincent Trocheck stuffing one home from the blue paint at 8:26 in the opening frame. 

Brandon Carlo: Carlo’s regression this season might be one of the more surprising — and concerning — developments this year. Be it his weak clear out into the slot that led to Andrei Svechnikov’s second-period snipe or multiple other fumbles and D-zone miscues, Carlo’s play is severely hampering this club.

Forbort-Clifton pairing: Not to be outdone, the Bruins’ third D pairing also had an awful sojourn through the D-zone. I could delve into the underlying numbers and lop-sided shot metrics, but we’ll stick with just this highlight below: 

Haula Line: Elevated to the top line with both Marchand and Bergeron out, the B’s trio of Erik Haula, David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall did little with their added minutes — failing to attempt a single 5v5 shot until the final minutes of the second period. Can’t have that.

PLAY OF THE GAME

QUOTE OF NOTE

“We gotta get together here and make sure we’re going in the right direction so when (Bergeron and Marchand) return, they’re rejoining a team that’s going up, not down." - McAvoy

LOOSE PUCKS

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will now head out on the road for a four-game road trip — starting with a matchup against the Senators on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop is set for 12:30 p.m.