The Boston Bruins are coming off a tough loss against the Philadelphia Flyers, where goaltender Samuel Ersson pitched a shutout to defeat the Bruins 2-0. This left head coach Jim Montgomery scratching his head in what’s been a search for offense. The task will only get taller, as their next opponent is a fierce competitor.
The Bruins are shipping down south to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. In what they call the loudest house in hockey, it has been a place that’s not super kind to the Bruins. Since sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final during the 2018-19 season, the Bruins have won just two games in Carolina. Given their recent performance, weathering the storm that is the Hurricanes is not going to be an easy task.
Weathering the Offensive Storm
Defensively, the Bruins have been better as of late. Last game they took on the Flyers, who upped the intensity at times and really pushed the pace. In this game, they will need to be sharp defensively and constantly aware. The Hurricanes are much more dominant and come at you in waves.
The Hurricanes play with tremendous speed and are great at controlling the pace of the game. Under head coach Rod Brind’Amour, the back end is extremely active and is a focal point of their offense. Whether it is cycling the puck or dumping it in and forechecking hard, they are built to wear you down. Especially the forecheck, where they’ve gotten the better of the Bruins in that regard.
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The Bruins’ defense will need to be sharp. They’ve seen teams feast on chances in the inner slot and near the front of the net. For the Hurricanes, this is an appetizing dish, as they love to shoot from the blue line and create havoc in front of the goal crease. The Hurricanes are deep and have no shortage of players that can contribute. Their top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov has been the most impactful. Together, they have the third highest expected goals for percentage among qualified lines and average 5.88 expected goals per 60 minutes. They have a bit of everything on that line and if the Bruins are not at their best, the Hurricanes will make them pay for it.
The Hurricanes generate chances from everywhere, generating a high volume of shots from the high-danger areas of the ice. The Bruins will need to get bodies in shooting lanes…
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