Carolina Hurricanes: Takeaways from Game 2 Loss to Bruins
Last night’s game was yet another tough loss for the Carolina Hurricanes. Here’s what happened.
The Carolina Hurricanes dropped Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals 6-2 to the Boston Bruins. Last night’s game was extremely tough to watch and frustrating for both fans and players alike.
There isn’t much to be said about the Hurricanes’ play throughout. They were outmatched by the Boston Bruins at almost every turn. Whether it was a loose puck battle, an attempt at establishing the forecheck, or an attempt to clear the puck from their own zone, the Bruins beat the Hurricanes the majority of the time.
The Bruins scored two goals in each period, while the Hurricanes scored the final two goals of the game. Not much can be taken away from this stinker of a game, but their are a few positives to be had.
After riding the high of sweeping the New York Islanders in Round 2, losing two straight games is a tough pill to swallow. Each period of Game 2 showed a unique challenge or obstacle that was set in the Hurricanes” path. Let’s look at why the Hurricanes weren’t able to overcome the majority of them.
1st Period
The Hurricanes did not start this game strong. Right out of the gate, they looked tired and looked to be struggling with getting the puck out of their own end. The Bruins seemed to smother the Hurricanes at every junction, keeping the puck and the flow of play relatively one-sided.
The lack of success in the first period wasn’t for lack of trying. Both Micheal Ferland and Justin Faulk were very physical very early on, both laying huge checks during the first. This physicality, however, would not translate into offensive success.
Dropping the hammer 💪 pic.twitter.com/tGCWN26BZV
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 12, 2019
The Hurricanes special teams has been a huge detriment to them this series, as they’ve been largely unsuccessful at converting on the powerplay and killing off important penalties.
Two goals isn’t a monumental hill to climb, but things began falling apart at the seams going into the 2nd period.
2nd Period
The 2nd period would not be much better for the Hurricanes. Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton would score his first ever NHL playoff goal after a Hurricanes powerplay went unconverted.
Bruins would continue to dominate during the second, both on the powerplay and during 5 on 5 play. The officiating was much more consistent than in Game 1, with the exception of a single missed call.
Brad Marchand had Andrei Svechnikov in a headlock, which went uncalled. He then proceeded to slash Justin Williams in the neck, which led to Williams grabbing hold of Marchand’s chinstrap to give him a good talking-to. Williams was, of course, called for his retaliation, while Marchand skated free.
This one missed call wouldn’t change the fate of the game, but it was frustrating to a team already down in morale and on the scoreboard to have to overcome terrible officiating yet again.
3rd Period
The slippery slope would continue to drag the Hurricanes down in the third. By now, the Hurricanes looked absolutely defeated and tired. The Bruins were able to continue their domination until about 11 minutes into the third period. If there are any positives to take away from this game, they came in the final nine minutes or so.
With roughly nine minutes left in the game, Justin Williams managed to tip a shot from Justin Faulk past Tuukka Rask to break Boston’s looming shutout. This glimmer of hope, although slight, shined bright in a game full of mistakes, missed opportunities, and bad matchups.
The Hurricanes looked to be slightly rejuvenated after Williams’ tip-in, and the Bruins seemed to be just the tiniest bit frazzled. Rask, just moments after losing his shutout, would attempt to play the puck against a fast-incoming Teuvo Teravainen. Rask, instead of clearing the puck back up-ice, passed it directly to Teravainen, who rocketed it into the Bruins’ net with no hesitation.
"We can turn this series around." pic.twitter.com/uoSFsNUdcj
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 13, 2019
This was yet another tough loss to take, Caniacs. There are, however, positives to be had, and momentum to be brought back to Raleigh. The Hurricanes, despite being down 6 goals, still managed to rally and score not once, but twice.
Take this energy into Game 3. pic.twitter.com/b4EKYm2eYN
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 12, 2019
Hot. Top Three Saves of the Season. light
Petr Mrazek, despite letting up 10 goals in the past two games, has still played a darn good game. The Hurricanes have yet to lose on home ice (5-0) this postseason. The Bruins haven’t been to the PNC Arena this postseason, either. The Bruins are in for quite a surprise for Games 3 and 4.
Who should start game 3?
— Cardiac Cane (@CardiacCane) May 13, 2019
Question for CC Readers: I’m sure you guys saw this one coming. Mrazek or McElhinney for Game 3?