BSJ Game Report, Gm. 3: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 2 - Bruins give themselves new life with full-team effort

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-2 win over the Hurricanes in Game 3, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES 

Bruins finally punch back: For the first 17 minutes of Friday’s Game 3 showdown at TD Garden, it looked as though the Bruins were doomed to follow a similar script from earlier this week, with Carolina cashing in on what few chances they had (a rebound strike from Vincent Trocheck) and Boston unable to break through against a decimated Canes goalie corps down the other end of the ice.

But at long last, the Bruins finally received a much-needed break in the closing minutes of the first, as Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle teamed up for a shorthanded tally (just the fourth shorthanded goal Carolina has given up this season) to knot things up at 1-1.

From then on, the Bruins took control of the contest and breathed new life into the series — with Boston scoring twice in the second period en route to an eventual 4-2 victory over the Hurricanes in Game 3 on Friday night.

With the win, the Bruins now trail in the best-of-seven series against Carolina, 2-1. 

While some of Boston’s big guns might have left their mark on the scoresheet (Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall joined Coyle as goal-scorers), this was a much-needed complete effort from Boston’s roster — with lineup insertions such as Chris Wagner and Mike Reilly chipping in with crisp transition play and heavy hits.

Unsung heroes like Curtis Lazar and Derek Forbort (nine total blocks) played a role in hindering Carolina’s O-zone pressure and power-play opportunities — while Boston’s power play finally showed some signs of life with two tallies on five opportunities.  

The Bruins still have quite the task in front of them when it comes to climbing out of this current deficit, but you’ve got to start somewhere — and for the first time all season, the B’s finally built a lead against this Hurricanes club.

Swayman gives Bruins spark: Even though Linus Ullmark wasn’t necessarily the weak link in Boston’s losses in Games 1 and 2, Bruce Cassidy hoped that shuffling around his goalies would give Boson the spark it needed with its backs against the wall.

And sure enough, Swayman provided the necessary lift when needed, keeping Boston in the fight with some timely early saves en route to an eventual 25-save performance. Even with a seeing-eye tally that he relinquished at 11:30 in the third, Swayman still did more than enough to stem any of the surges that Carolina put forth throughout the evening. 

Boston will be hoping for a similar performance in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, with Cassidy already confirming that the rookie will get the call once again later this weekend.

FIVE UP

Curtis Lazar and fourth line: Just a furious forechecking effort from Lazar and this fourth line — with those efforts leading to three Bruins power plays. They may not have been rewarded on the stat sheet, but Lazar and Wagner’s ability to land checks and tire Carolina’s skaters in their own end were essential to Friday’s win. 

Penalty kill: This shorthanded unit swung momentum back in Boston’s favor in this series — be it Coyle’s shorthanded snipe that got the B’s on the board, and the collective defensive effort that stymied five Carolina power plays.

Derek Forbort: You could have lumped Forbort in the PK section, I suppose. But when you block nine shots — a majority of which were during taxing, shorthanded minutes — you’re going to get your own spot here. Just a gutsy performance from a pretty unheralded contributor on this roster.

Jeremy Swayman: Even with that third-period goal that he’d want back, Swayman was stout in the early going and put out plenty of fires before Boston started to find its game. 

Power play: Two tallies on five opportunities? Boston will certainly take it, especially when it gets guys like Pastrnak on the board. 

ONE “SO-SO”

Brad Marchand: He still does get dinged for a few ill-timed penalties that could have sapped Boston’s momentum a bit, but the Bruins have to be thrilled that their top left winger finally got off the schneid with that second-period tally — giving Boston its first lead all season against Carolina. That stands as Marchand’s first 5v5 goal since way back on April 2. The B’s will be hoping for a much shorter scoring drought moving forward. 

TWO DOWN

Brandon Carlo: Just can’t have a sequence like this from Carlo in a 0-0 deadlock, especially when he should be pushing a 5-foot-10 Trocheck out of Grade-A ice. 

Erik Haula: On a night in which a number of B’s skaters outside of their star talent stepped up, Boston’s second line of Hall-Haula-DeBrusk struggled to generate much at 5v5 play. Haula in particular has been a bit of a disappointment in this series, especially when it comes to his D-zone play against Carolina’s pressure. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

Really scary moment during the second period, as an NHL penalty box attendant needed to be stretchered off the ice after being injured by a falling pane of glass.

Thankfully, it appears as though Joe Foley — the attendant who was injured — is going to be okay after being taken to Mass General for further evaluation. 

“Heard he’s doing alright and he’s gonna be fine,” Pastrnak said of Foley.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will look to even up this series on Sunday afternoon, with Game 4 set for 12:30 p.m. at TD Garden.