Carolina Hurricanes: Three Keys to Starting Conference Final vs. Bruins
The Carolina Hurricanes can proclaim themselves as Kings of the East, if they can dispatch the Boston Bruins. What do they need to do in Game 1 to set the tone?
The Carolina Hurricanes have had a long rest after sweeping the New York Islanders in the second round. The Boston Bruins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games, securing their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Hurricanes. The Boston Bruins closed the book on the second round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a decisive 3-0 victory in Game 6 in Columbus.
Despite the initial wrong call from the Charlie McAvoy illegal check on Josh Anderson in the second period, the Bruins stood strong and still secured a shutout for Tuukka Rask, who had 39 saves. McAvoy is suspended for Game 1 of the series against the Hurricanes, as result for the illegal check.
The Carolina Hurricanes, who have not had a lot of work against actual competitive teams other than themselves in practice, look to pull another, what analysts would once again call an “upset”.
The Hurricanes dispatched the Stanley Cup champions from last season in a Game 7 double overtime. They displayed a decisive series sweep against the New York Islanders, finishing the series in Raleigh, which should have boosted team morale.
The Bruins and Hurricanes have playoff experience against each other, with the Bruins taking three-of-four series between the two franchises. In the 1990 Division Semifinal, the Bruins eliminated the Hartford Whalers with a 3-1 victory in Game 7.
In the 1991 Division Semifinal rematch, the Bruins finished off the Whalers in six games. In the 1999 East Quarterfinal, the newly relocated Hurricanes were eliminated in six games by the Bruins.
It took until the 2009 East Semifinal, with the Carolina Hurricanes eliminating the Boston Bruins to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, by a Scott Walker overtime goal, with a stellar performance of Cam Ward in net.
[Top #Canes20 Moments]
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) November 26, 2017
Moment 12: May 14, 2009
Scott Walker's Game Seven OT Winnerhttps://t.co/ddZVTWbaJh pic.twitter.com/pij0df2OwL
The Hurricanes were swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Set aside, it took ten years for the Hurricanes and Bruins to meet again from 1999 to 2009. The Hurricanes and the Bruins meet again, ten years later, from 2009 to 2019. Is this fate? It may be, if they follow the keys to Game 1.
1. Break Rask’s Confidence
Tuukka Rask has been solid in net for the Bruins so far this season and he has only been heating up in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially in the ending pages of the Columbus series. In Game 4, Rask saved 39 of 40 shots and was the first star of the game in Columbus, allowing Boston to take a safe 4-1 win in Columbus.
Rask saved 33 of 36 shots in Game 5 and was one of the three stars for the Bruins, allowing the Bruins to secure a 4-3 win in Boston. In Game 6, Rask also registered a shutout with 39 saves, boosting his confidence even into this series and the Hurricanes should be aware of that.
They will be taking on a confident Tuukka Rask in net and they’ll need to rattle his confidence early and continue to crush it consistently throughout the game.
The Islanders’ defense was known to be trustworthy and satisfactory, the Hurricanes’ forwards were able to breach them and they’ll have a slightly easier time to breach through the Bruins’ defense, and score on Rask. The Hurricanes showed us all they only get more offensive through the duration of a series.
Other than the Bruins having their top-line, one of their best players is their goaltender, and if the Hurricanes can solve Rask, they’ll see early success in the Conference Finals. They solved Braden Holtby, they solved Robin Lehner, they solved Thomas Greiss, and they can solve Tuukka Rask.
2. Shut Down Their Forwards
The Bruins have an excellent forward core, Brad Marchand, despite his antics, has 13 points, which is tied for second in the playoffs right now. David Pastrnak is tied in fourth place in goals with six. If the Hurricanes do not shut down the Bruins’ offense, especially from the top-line, they’ll have a short series, and not in their favor.
The Hurricanes had a cakewalk with a team that valued their defense more than their offense in the New York Islanders, but with the Washington Capitals, it came down to the wire. This series will be more similar to the Capitals than to the Islanders.
The Bruins will be the toughest opponent the Hurricanes may see on the other side in all the playoffs, depending on who comes from the Western Conference Finals between the St Louis. Blues and San José Sharks.
The best strategy may not be to focus on back-checking, but actually an intense forecheck that chokes the life out of the Bruins. Throughout the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning, used their aggressive forecheck and choked the endurance out of the Bruins. In the defensive zone, the Hurricanes need to move quick and cover all passing lanes, forcing the Bruins to take weak shots.
The Hurricanes, at all costs, need to not allow high-scoring games in the series. It’s a fight that the Bruins would likely win, and the Hurricanes need to prevent it. The Hurricanes defensive core is given the advantage, by even hockey analysts, over the Boston Bruins, and the Hurricanes need to meet up to those expectations and exceed them.
3. Special Teams, Do or Die
The Bruins’ power play leads all the teams who have been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far and in the current with a 28.6% success rate, which is excellent. The Hurricanes penalty-kill has been not too great in general with a 75%, it needs to be better to shut down the Bruins power play, which has broke the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Patrice Bergeron is tied in power play goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with four goals. The Hurricanes, once again, need to shut down the top-line, whether it’s five-on-five or on the penalty-kill, they need to shut them down everywhere.
The penalty-kill is something to be confident of as the Hurricanes have improved, it just needs to improve more and adjust to a power play that has more success than the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals, which is scary to think of.
The Hurricanes power play situation doesn’t get any better, as they have a commanding Bruins penalty kill that is successful 83.8% of the time, as the Hurricanes have a 10.5% power play success rate, which is the less than every Stanley Cup winner in National Hockey League history.
If the Hurricanes want to keep rolling, they have to wake up on the special teams. Five-on-five performance has been excellent, but the ball cannot keep rolling on these poor numbers on the special teams. They need to keep the momentum rolling with their power play goal in Game 4 against the Islanders.
109. Final. 2. 70. 3
This Boston Bruins team is the strongest it has been, compared to the past few years. They are known for deep playoff runs, they won the Stanley Cup in 2011, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013. This team is experienced and they have players who are reaching the prime of their careers.
The Hurricanes need to limit even more mistakes and play the best hockey they’ve ever played. The team that will win the Stanley Cup will likely be from the Eastern Conference and the Hurricanes need to force their way to having the title as Kings of the East, to be Emperors of the League. It all starts in Game 1, the Hurricanes hold their own fate at TD Garden in Boston.
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Question for CC Readers: How many games will this series go to and who will win it?