The Boston Bruins are having an unbelievable season.
In fact, saying unbelievable is an understatement. As of this writing (Sunday, February 19), the Bruins are first in both the Atlantic Division and the NHL, with a 42-8-5 record for 89 points.
The team is also second in the league in goals scored (205 goals in 55 games; 3.73 goals per game), first in the league in goals allowed (114 goals against; 2.07 goals against per game), and first in the league on the penalty kill (86.2 percent). With these metrics, it is easy to see why the Bruins are the best team in the league.
Believe it or not, there is a team that sits just seven points behind them, and that is the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are first in the Metropolitan Division and second in the NHL with a 37-10-8 record.
Much like the Bruins, the Hurricanes are also doing very well in certain statistical categories. They are fourth in the league in goals allowed (145 goals against; 2.64 goals against per game), sixth in the league on the penalty kill (81.7 percent), third in the league in shots for (34.9 shots per game), and first in the league in shots allowed (26.3 shots allowed per game).
With that said, there is one thing that separates these two clubs. This one thing is crucial when it comes to having success in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Of course, I am talking about goaltending. Simply put, Carolina’s goaltending does not come even close to matching the goaltending that the Bruins have.
The Bruins have the best goaltender in the league in Linus Ullmark. Ullmark, 29, is currently 28-4-0-1 with a 1.95 goals-against average, a .936 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Yes, the Bruins play solid on the defensive side of the puck, but Ullmark has been there for his team all season long when things break down. He knows how to come up with a big save when his team needs one the most, and he always looks to be in control when he is between the pipes.
Not only do they have Ullmark, but the Bruins also have 24-year-old Jeremy Swayman. Swayman is currently 13-4-0-4 with a 2.21 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Swayman got off to a rough start, but he has regained the form that made him so successful last season. Truth be told, Swayman could be a starting goaltender on a lot of other NHL clubs if he was not with the Bruins.
Now, the Hurricanes’ goaltending is not bad. Heck, they have played well enough this season to lead their team to the second-best record in the league.
Frederik Andersen, when healthy, is the team’s starting goaltender. He is currently 13-4 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
He missed all of last year’s playoffs due to an injury. Had he been healthy, there is a chance that they would have been able to beat the New York Rangers in the second round, as Andersen was one of the league’s best goaltenders last year.
The Hurricanes also have Antti Raanta, who was the team’s goaltender in the playoffs last season. He is currently 14-2-0-3 with a 2.44 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage, and two shutouts.
When Andersen was hurt this season, the Hurricanes also used Pyotr Kochetkov, who played really well when he was with the club. Kochetkov, 23, was 10-4-0-5 with a 2.33 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and three shutouts.
While the Bruins and Hurricanes play great hockey at both ends of the ice and are similar in many statistical categories, it is easy to see that the Bruins have a big edge when it comes to goaltending. It will be interesting to see what it ends up leading to come April.
