- Ouch. Look, every now and then, a game just gets away from you, even during the playoffs. It’s happened before for the Hurricanes, and Carolina found a way to win their Round 1 series against the Capitals, anyway. They’ll need to channel those emotions, as the Bruins absolutely stomped the Hurricanes in Game 2 on Sunday.
Bruins 6, Hurricanes 2 (Boston leads series 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN; stream here).
After running away with Game 1 thanks to a four-goal third period, the Bruins duplicated that success when it mattered during Game 2. Boston scored two goals in each of the three periods to take a 6-0 lead, coughing up those two late goals when the two teams were basically killing time. Granted, the Hurricanes probably felt some relief by scoring a couple goals against Tuukka Rask, including a blunder by Rask on the second tally. From special teams to even-strength play to goaltending, the Hurricanes have a ton of work to do as the scene changes to Carolina for Games 3 and 4.
That one save
Game 2 was brutal for Petr Mrazek. It’s fair to wonder if Rod Brind’Amour should have replaced Mrazek for Curtis McElhinney heading into the third period, and it’s equally fair to ask if McElhinney should be the Game 3 starter. Yet, as bad as things were ... at least Mrazek made this save.
Three Stars
1. Matt Grzelcyk
It could have been a short Game 2 for Grzelcyk, considering how hard that Micheal Ferland hit looked.
Instead, the blueliner enjoyed a standout afternoon, generating two of the Bruins’ first four goals (when the game was still reasonably competitive). That included the 1-0 icebreaker, an ugly-looking thing that Mrazek surely wishes he could have back.
Along with scoring two important goals, Grzelcyk logged 18:21 time on ice, delivered two hits, and blocked two shots. At this rate, people might not even feel anxious about misspelling his last name.
2. Charlie Coyle
Consider this the combined Charlie Coyle - Marcus Johansson entry.
Johansson’s work caught the eye in a more prominent way, as he did most of the work to make the 1-0 goal happen, and both of his points were primary assists.
Coyle deserves a mention, too, and he actually had one more point (three assists to Johansson’s two). It was a subtly effective all-around Game 2 for Coyle, as he enjoyed a +3 rating, went 12-3 on faceoffs, registered one hit, and one SOG in a modest 14:02 TOI.
The headlines (and amusing Dunkin’ Donuts commercials) go to Bruins’ top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak, but the Coyle - Johansson duo is really starting to click for Boston, allowing them to win games even when the top trio is being held in check. Carolina needs to find answers quickly, or the Bruins will go through them faster than Pastrnak polishes off a cold brew.
3. Torey Krug
With it being a relatively light day at the office for Tuukka Rask (two goals allowed on 23 shots, including a funky giveaway by Rask), it seems fairer to stick with skaters for the top three.
Krug had a strong Game 2, generating three assists. Two of Krug’s assists happened on Boston’s power-play goals, which occurred when the game was still on respectable street (the 4-0 stretch through the first 40 minutes).
Those three assists give Krug 11 points in 15 playoff games, tying Krug with Jaccob Slavin and Alex Pietrangelo for third place in scoring among defensemen. Krug is one point away from matching his career high of 12 postseason points, a mark he set during last year’s postseason.
Factoids
- With Connor Clifton scoring his first career NHL goal, the Bruins have received at least one goal from 19 different players during their 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs run. That ties the Bruins’ franchise record for a single postseason, as Boston saw 19 players find the net in 1988.
- As Capitals fans would like to forget, the Hurricanes have already come back from a 2-0 deficit, doing so in Round 1. They’re hoping to just be the third team to successfully fight back from 2-0 deficits during the same postseason. On the bright side, this parity-filled age is responsible for the two teams who’ve done it: the Bruins in 2011 and the Penguins in 2009.
- The Bruins scoring 10 consecutive goals marks the fourth-best playoff run in team history. The best stretch was 18 consecutive goals, which they managed in 1969.
Monday’s game
Game 2: St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks (San Jose leads 1-0); 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN; stream here.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.