Preview: Bruins Face Hurricanes in First Round

The Boston Bruins will face a familiar playoff opponent in the first round of the NHL playoffs, and that opponent is not named the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Carolina Hurricanes will meet the Bruins in the opening round starting Monday night in Carolina. The two teams met in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final, which ended in a four-game sweep by the Bruins. The following postseason saw the Bruins beat the Canes again in five games. The only time the Hurricanes have beaten the Bruins in the postseason was in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2009.

The Bruins have had recent success against Carolina in the postseason, but not this season. In three games between the two teams, Carolina is 3-0-0 and has outscored Boston 16-1. In fact, the Bruins did not score a five-on-five goal against Carolina in the three matchups. On paper, the Metropolitan Division Hurricanes have the edge. The head-to-head analysis is fairly obvious. The games were not that competitive. The Canes should have speed and offensive ability that the Bruins had trouble containing. The goaltending for Boston was not able to keep the Bruins close. But some of that analysis may have some disclaimers.

Both teams are very different now. Prognosticators must take into account that the first game between the two teams occurred in October. The second game was in January, a 7-1 Hurricanes win. Since retired, Tuukka Rask allowed five of those goals. And then in February, a 6-0 win for Carolina, the Bruins were without Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.

At the trade deadline, each team added a key player. The Hurricanes acquired Max Domi from Columbus. Since joining the team, Domi has played 19 games with two goals and five assists. The Bruins added defenseman Hampus Lindholm from Anaheim. Lindholm missed some time with injury but had played ten games with Boston and tallied five assists. More importantly, Lindholm gives the Bruins a top-pair defenseman to play with Charlie McAvoy.

Here are some areas to keep an eye on in this series:

The Power-Plays

On Thursday night, the Bruins snapped a streak of twelve games without a power-play goal with two goals with the advantage against Buffalo. This is something to watch in the postseason. The Hurricanes have struggled on the power-play as well, scoring just two goals with the man advantage in April. This series could come down to who capitalizes on special teams.

The Goaltending

Bruins’ head coach Bruce Cassidy has still not announced his Game 1 starter, but all signs point to Linus Ullmark getting the nod. Ullmark is 26-10-2 this season with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. The 28-year-old netminder recorded his first shutout of the season on Thursday and has outplayed Jeremy Swayman in recent weeks. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen has been terrific this season, posting a 35-14-3 record with four shutouts. Andersen has a sparkling 2.17 goals GAA and a .922 save percentage. However, Andersen suffered a left leg injury earlier in the month and could miss the beginning of the series. Backup Antii Raanta had to leave a recent game with an injury as well. The Bruins could have a sizable advantage if Andersen is not at 100 percent.

The Top Lines

This is where the series could be won or lost by either team. The Bruins have a top line with Patrice Bergeron centering Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk, one of the best in the league five-on-five. Marchand has struggled lately, with only an empty-net goal in his last thirteen games. But DeBrusk has been a great addition to the Bruins’ top line with 24 goals on the season. The Canes’ top unit of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Teuvo Teravainen is as formidable as they come. Svechnikov has three goals this season against Boston, and Teravainen tallied three assists in the Canes’ most recent win over the Bruins.

Prediction:

Most data points to a Carolina series win, but something tells me that the Bruins pull out the series in six games. Goaltending is a major component, and Ullmark may be the more steady goalie option. It should be an entertaining series, but look for the Bruins to advance to the next round in an upset.

Season 4. Episode 26. Is Swayman a Diva? Bruins Benders Podcast

 Join the Bruins Benders Podcast as they cover the HOTTEST topics in the Boston Bruins market, along with…- Morgan Geekie Arbitration Rights? What's his deal look like?- Nikita Zadorov's seemed to blow off the idea Swayman was sticking up for a teammate. Trouble in paradise?- Torts is out in Philly. Is he a fit in Boston?- What kind of grade would you give Fabian Lysell since his call up?& Much More!Bruins Benders Premium Hoodies $55https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/get-bent-premium-hoodieBruins Benders Long Sleeve Tee $40https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/bruins-benders-long-sleeve-tee-1Bruins Benders Tee $30https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/bruins-benders-t-shirt-1For more from us, visit: insidetherink.com/bruins-bendersBoston Bruins Trade Rumors, Boston Bruins News, Boston Bruins, Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Andrew Peeke, Parker Wotherspoon, Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau, Cole Koepke, Trent Frederic, Matthew Poitras, Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Oliver Wahlstrom, Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, Joe Sacco, Don Sweeney, Cam Neely, Brandon Carlo Trade#nhl #nhlbruins #hockey #bostonbruins #nhlplayoffs #bruins #nhlhockey #nhlmemes #boston #nhlallstar #nhldiscussion #nhlnews #nhledits #nhldraft #bruinsnation #nhlawards #nhltrade #hockeylife #tdgarden #nhlhighlights #bostonsports #bruinshockey #bruinsfan #nhlblackhawks #nhlglobalseries #nhlfi #nhlleafs #nhltrades #nhltradedeadline #nhlcanadiens #nhl #nhlnews #hockey #nhlhockey #nhlplayoffs #nhledits #nhldiscussion #nhlmemes #nhldraft #nhlallstar #hockeylife #hockeynews #hockeymemes #nhlhighlights #icehockey #sports #hockeyislife #nhlbruins #hockeyplayers #hockeyfan #hockeyplayer #hockeyedits #stanleycup #nhlawards #hockeygame #hockeyboys #hockeygram #hockeyfights #nhltrade #nhltrades 
  1. Season 4. Episode 26. Is Swayman a Diva?
  2. Season 4. Episode 25. It's Not a Retool
  3. Season 4. Episode 24. Franchise Altering Deadline
  4. Season 4. Episode 23. Disappointing, Not Devastating
  5. Season 4. Episode 22. 4 Nations LIVE

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Adam Proteau

Catching up With Adam Proteau of The Hockey News

With the trade deadline behind us and teams pushing toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, I figured now was as good a time as ever to conduct an email interview with the great Adam Proteau of The Hockey News. Adam was kind enough to take time out of his busy writing schedule to give us his […]

Read More
Todd McLellan behind the bench

March Contiues to Be a Month That Sinks the Detroit Red Wings Playoff Hopes

March has been the part of the NHL schedule that has caused the Detroit Red Wings the most trouble in the past three seasons. In two of these three seasons, the Red Wings were led by former head coach Derek Lalonde. The Red Wings had a record of 3-11 in March of 2024 under Lalonde. […]

Read More
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes celebrates a first-period goal against the Minnesota Wild.

New Jersey Devils Take Down Wild in a Shootout to Sweep the Season Series

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout on Monday night at the Prudential Center, sweeping the home-and-home season series between the two. Looking to end a three-game winless streak at home, the Devils put together another 60-plus minute effort that earned them a resilient and well-deserved win over a team […]

Read More