Canes travel to TD Garden to meet the Boston Bruins

Carolina will tonight face an old foe. Someone they have struggled to beat in the playoffs of years past. In both iterations of the franchise, the team has seen countless playoff runs end at the hands of the black and gold team from Boston, and tonight, they travel to TD Garden to play the Bruins once more. Unlike in many situations of years gone by, the Canes come into this one as the better team.

At the risk of the Bruins scoring 10 goals in this game and making me look like a complete idiot, they do seem to have a weakness this year. Their forward core behind that perfection line. They have one of the best lines in hockey, but behind that top line, it’s an attack missing many teeth. This isn’t to say it can’t hurt you, but if you’re trying to beat a team as good as Carolina with the depth of Boston, I favor the Metropolitan team here.

That’s not to say this will be an easy game. Marching into Boston is going to prove one of the most difficult challenges the Canes have had in this calendar year so far. Capable of beating anyone when they want to, the Bruins cannot be taken lightly. This top-line can put this game out of reach in a hurry, so the Canes will need to be very careful when dealing with them. They could end the night really early.

So, what do the Canes need to win this game? They’re going to need some strong goaltending, and likely a strong defensive performance from their blueliners. This is a hostile building and one that has troubled the Canes in recent times. Be solid with the puck in your own zone and you give yourself the best odds. Otherwise, pucks in deep, forecheck hard, wear them down, insert other cliches here.