BSJ Game Report: Hurricanes 4, Bruins 1 - Boston fails to weather storm in Carolina

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, with BSJ insight and analysis…

BOX SCORE 

HEADLINES

Bruins fail to weather storm in Carolina: The Bruins' first losing streak of the season extended to three with a 4-1 loss at the Hurricanes.

Four different Carolina (32-9-8) skaters found the back of the net, and seven recorded a point. Frederik Andersen made 24 saves as the Canes extended their winning streak to five with points in eight in a row as well.

Linus Ullmark made 32 saves for Boston (38-7-5), who didn’t get on the board until early in the third period when Taylor Hall redirected Pavel Zacha’s shot.

Sebastian Aho stayed hot for Carolina, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games on a breakaway midway through the first after he forced a turnover off David Pastrnak at the top of the Canes’ zone.

Paul Stastny found a soft spot in coverage on the power play to double Carolina’s lead to 2-0 at 12:05 of the second, benefitting from a fortunate bounce off the end boards on the power play after Martin Necas’ wrister sailed wide. 

Just 1:57 into the third, Seth Jarvis stole the puck from Brandon Carlo, breaking in all alone on Ullmark before burying a smooth forehand-backhand finish to make it 3-0. 

Hall cut it to 3-1 at 3:22 with the deflection at the top of the crease, but Jordan Staal sealed the 4-1 final, taking Jordan Martinook’s clearing attempt and outmuscling Pastrnak to slide the puck into the empty net shorthanded.

Boston’s power play went 0-for-6, while Carolina was 1-for-4

ONE UP

Linus Ullmark: He may have given up three goals, but Ullmark is one of few, if not the only reason that Boston was at least within striking distance on the scoreboard throughout the game. The Bruins gave up a lot in the middle of the ice, and Ullmark still managed to save 10 of 12 high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick. 

THREE DOWN

The power play: Usually a source of confidence for the Bruins, the power play has hit a significant rut. It’s not as bad as last year’s 0-for-39 run at the end of the regular season, but it’s starting to look like it. Boston is 0-for-14 since Hall’s power play tally at Montreal on Tuesday, and the man-advantage looked lifeless today, struggling to break into Carolina’s zone and failing to sustain any pressure once in. It cost them at the end as it was too easy for the Canes to clear and send Staal in for the empty-netter.

David Pastrnak: No. 88 was almost the hero last night before Boston blew it late to Florida, but he couldn’t take any momentum into Raleigh. He was sloppy with the puck at the point, leading right to a breakaway for Aho on his goal. Turnovers were a theme of the game, especially there.

Brandon Carlo: Carlo has by and large been better than he’s been given credit for this season. That said, his last few games can simply be summed up with “yikes.” Jarvis pick-pocketed him early in the third to get in all alone before scoring a beauty. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

What a goal by Jarvis. He freezes Ullmark on the forehand before smoothly pulling it to his backhand to roof it.

LOOSE PUCKS

Brent Burns recored an assist in his 1,300th NHL game. He's just the fourth active player to hit that mark.

Also, who would have figured Andersen would wind up being one of the most difficult challenges for the Bruins lately after how much he struggled against them while in Toronto? 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will wrap up their road trip when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday in the final game before the All-Star break. Puck-drop is set for 7:30 p.m.