Hurricanes win game two after Bruins lose their discipline

In a game where the Carolina Hurricanes were clearly the better team in terms of both sportsmanship and whistle to whistle play, they claim the victory in game two by a score of 5-2. It is the first time this season that the Boston Bruins have put two goals up in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. We know that the Bruins like to dive into the dirty side of the game when they’re outmatched, and we saw that in this one.

Starting with the hit on Antti Raanta that would see him knocked out of the game. We know the netminder didn’t enter concussion protocol and was in good spirits in the locker room. He was forced to leave the game after David Pastrnak came through the crease and extended his arms away from his body in an effort to hit Raanta’s mask. Raanta’s mask then cuts him on the way up from the force of Pasta. It was called a minor which is a joke.

When Pyotr Kochetkov took the reigns from Father Finn, the Bruins were as welcoming as you’d expect the Bruins to be. Kochetkov and Brad Marchand had a slashing fight which was fun. Kochetkov seemed to be no worse for wear, but it’s a game that had a lot of this. After the whistle, both teams were coming together and got into brawls and fights. Carolina managed to maintain their discipline while not taking anything it didn’t need to.

Carolina managed to get physical within the rules. Andrei Svechnikov laid a mammoth hit on Hampus Lindholm. A particularly clean hit going through the body with no head contact, staying on the ice throughout the hit, and planting his shoulder right into the chest of the Swedish defenseman that the Bruins picked up at the trade deadline. It was a thoroughly enjoyable hit and the building popped when it happened.

Now, let’s talk about some goals. Nino Niederreiter and Sebastian Aho had two goals apiece. Aho with a powerplay goal and a tip, Nino with the empty netter in addition to his powerplay goal. These two single-handedly scored four goals here in game two. Between the two of them, they really helped put the Canes in a position where they could command the game and help see this game through.

It would be so wrong of me to not talk about Jaccob Slavin after his efforts in this one. With his two assists on the first two goals, Slavin became the Hurricanes/Whalers’ all-time leading scorer among defensemen in the postseason. Carolina’s defensive stalwart is starting to put up very respectable offensive numbers and it’s starting to show when he takes to the ice. He’s becoming one of the best all-around D guys in the league.