Of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins, this is likely the series that Canes fans remember most fondly. This series had a little bit of everything, but its ending is among the most surprising and exciting in team history. It took quite the precarious route, but it eventually ended in a Hurricanes win.
By mid-February, the Canes knew that a division title was unlikely. On Valentine's Day 2009, they were five points out of a playoff spot, but they got hot at the right time. Winning 18 of their final 26 games, including a nine-game winning streak near the very end, they settled into the sixth seed in the East. Their opening series against New Jersey was pretty epic, too.
Meanwhile, the Bruins ran away with the East, finishing with the top record by eight points. They boasted the best defense in the league, anchored by Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas and Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara, and the second-best offense. The Montreal Canadiens posed no threat to them in the conference quarterfinals. This was a tough draw for the Canes.
#9: The Canes got off to a strong lead before needing a big goal to win in seven
That sentiment became clearer early in Game 1. Former friend Aaron Ward got the Bruins on the board just over 90 seconds in with a wrister from the point. The moving traffic in front never allowed Cam Ward to pick up the shot. Jussi Jokinen tied it up with 1:10 left, but the rest of the night swung heavily in the home team's favor.
Marc Savard, Boston's leading scorer, scored twice over the final two periods, scoring each goal at 7:21 in the frame. It's not an important stat, but it's interesting that it happened at the same time. Michael Ryder sandwiched one in between Savard's goals, giving the Bruins a 4-1 win to get it started. Thomas stopped 26 shots, keeping his streak of allowing two goals or fewer intact.
Game 2 turned into a goalie duel very quickly. Ward and Thomas were on their games early, preventing either side from getting anything through. That changed early in the second. Joe Corvo hammered a shot from above the far dot through traffic and into the net, giving the Canes their first lead of the series. Just over five minutes later, Carolina added to its lead.
Down a man, Chad Larose stuck his stick out to prevent a point-to-point pass. Forced behind the net as he went the other way, Larose found Matt Cullen to double the lead. From there, Ward was outstanding. He did his best work in the third, making his biggest save to rob Ryder with his pad. Eric Staal scored into the empty net, and Ward posted a 36-save shutout to even the series.
Back at home and feeling pretty good, the Canes couldn't become complacent. Boston made sure of that in the first period. Milan Lucic opened the scoring with a rebound goal. However, the Canes' quick strike offense gave them the lead in the second. Staal got his stick on an attempted clear to tie the game on the power play, and Sergei Samsonov got another 69 seconds later to put Carolina in front.
The Bruins didn't go quietly, with another former Cane making sure Game 3 got to overtime. Mark Recchi scored midway through the third, giving the fans in Raleigh bonus hockey. They went home happy. Samsonov's backhand was knocked away. Given all he'd done to that point in the playoffs, the puck landing on Jussi Jokinen's stick for the winner felt right. The series lead was Carolina's.
With the Canes trying to put a stranglehold on the series, Game 4 looked like another tight contest to start. Staal scored on the power play early in the first, leaking a shot through Thomas. Savard answered from a sharp angle on the power play early in the second. Through 40 minutes, there wasn't a ton of space. The Canes took over in the third.
Game 3's hero broke the deadlock early on the power play. Jokinen was in the right spot to put a rebound home, restoring the Canes' lead. Late in the frame, Staal and Samsonov repeated what they'd done in Game 3 in reverse. Samsonov extended the lead with a gorgeous backhand goal, and Staal added the dagger 70 seconds later. The Canes were taking a 3-1 series lead to Beantown.
Becoming hated in Boston, the villain got the last word in the series
The Hurricanes had poked the bear one too many times because the Bruins took it to them in Game 5. Mark Recchi scored first on the power play, Phil Kessel got his first two goals of the series, and Lucic provided some insurance in the third. Boston outshot Carolina 40-19, and Thomas stopped each one to earn the shutout and keep the Bruins' season alive.
As well as Boston played, the only player being talked about after Game 5 was Scott Walker. Late in the game, Aaron Ward and Matt Cullen got into it in front of the Boston net. Walker stepped in, dropped his gloves, and sucker punched Ward. The Bruins defenseman never got his gloves off. Walker was booted from the game, but he wasn't suspended, angering many in Boston.
The Bruins channeled this energy with them when they arrived in Raleigh for Game 6. They were the better team once again. They scored twice in the opening 5:04 and added two more in the second after Cullen cut into their lead. Samsonov scored in the third period to attempt a comeback bid, but the series was heading to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Boston.
The Canes were in their fourth Game 7 in as many series, going back to 2006. They knew what it took to get the job done. However, the Bruins scored first. Byron Bitz collected a rebound in front of the net to get it going. The captain wouldn't let that stand. With a power play expiring, Rod Brind'Amour tipped Dennis Seidenberg's shot past Thomas to tie it up.
In the second, Samsonov wrote the final part of his excellent round by finishing a gorgeous pass from Joni Pitkanen as he flew to the net for his fourth goal of the series. Of course, it couldn't be that simple. Boston tied it up in the third. Lucic elevated the puck at the top of the crease, beating Ward and knotting the game at two. As if it couldn't get more dramatic, Game 7 was going to overtime.
Honestly, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Walker was the one who finished the job. He'd been dangerous throughout overtime. All it took was one bounce. Ray Whitney had the initial chance, and while Thomas stopped it, he mishandled the rebound. Walker was first to it, and he batted it home before Thomas could swat it away. The Garden went silent as the Canes celebrated.
His villain arc might've lasted just three games, but a part of me is still amazed at how perfectly it played out for Scott Walker and the Hurricanes. He'd never scored a postseason goal in his career before the Game 7 overtime winner in Boston. The veteran had never been a big-time scorer anyway, but he'll always have this moment and his place in team history.
The only thing more iconic than Walker's goal was his gallop and attempts to avoid the rest of the team as he made his way to hug Cam Ward. Tim Thomas finished with better numbers, but you could argue Ward was the better goalie in this series. He was certainly Carolina's most valuable player against the Bruins, maintaining a perfect record in Game 7s.
The Canes knocked off two of the three division champions in the first two rounds of the postseason, but their run came to an end in the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champions. Two years later, the Bruins won the Cup. They also won the next two meetings between these teams in 2019 and 2020. However, we'll always have the great villain story of 2009.
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