The Boston Bruins are back at the wall after suffering two straight losses to start their series against the Carolina Hurricanes, and they made two important changes to Game 3. Changes that should have been made sooner.
Updated yesterday at 11:16 PM.
Coach Bruce Cassidy removed goalkeeper Linus Olmark from the starting lineup and gifted the net to young Jeremy Swayman. He also brought together the trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pasternak. How was it possible to dismantle an offensive line called perfect line ? This is a question to which one can hardly find a satisfactory answer.
The result was a fantastic 4-2 win, which kind of started a better streak between the two teams. Well-built clubs that are still disciplined in their playing structure.
We understand Bruins’ decision to sign Ullmark as a free agent last summer. Swayman was inexperienced and wasn’t clear what was in store for Touka Raske, who had finally retired after his brief return to work a few months earlier. A wise choice by GM Don Sweeney for sure.
Olmark is not a bad goalkeeper. But 20 million for four years? It’s too much money for a goalkeeper who would be in the right chair if he were a reserve goalkeeper tied up thirty times per season.
Swayman was part lucky, part good Friday night, but it seems clear that his presence in front of goal gives his teammates more confidence than Olmark. The 23-year-old goalkeeper allowed a poor goal by Jacob Slavin’s shot midway through the third period making it 4-2 and making the final minutes more exciting, but overall Swayman did very well, stopping 25 and 27 shots.
At the other end of the ice, Pyotr Kochetkov didn’t have much to blame himself for either. He couldn’t do much about Bruins’ goals. The third goalkeeper for Keynes, the 22-year-old Russian, who usually has to communicate with his coaches using a translation app, google translator Without mentioning her name, she was starting the first game of her career in the playoffs, just like Swayman.
Finally the guns
It’s not rocket science for Bruins. If they want to advance in the tournament, their big guns will need to score the majority of their goals, as they have consistently done for years. Support players in the squad because of their strength, pre-workout screening or the quality of their defensive play. From the blue line, only Charlie McAvoy, who has established himself as one of the top five NHL defenders this season, can consistently contribute in attack.
The big guns of the Bruins, we all know them: Pastrnak, Marchand, Bergeron and Taylor Hall. All but Bergeron scored on Friday night and got seven points.
It was more specific in the second period as the Bruins finally started after nine very normal periods to start the series. The Hurricanes dominated the match and took a 1-0 lead thanks to a first-half goal from Vincent Trochek, but Charlie Coyle netted after a superb pass from Jake Debrosk turned the game on its head. The locals before the break.
In the second half, Marchand scored the first goal without a net in 16 matches, then Pasternak made it 3-1. As the game progressed, the Boston strikers patiently played at the entrance to the area, creating scoring opportunities which they seized on a few occasions. Without saying that they play the famous “trap”, let’s assume that the hurricanes play hard in the central regions…
Photo by Winslow Townson, USA TODAY Sports
David Pastrnak (88) celebrated Bruins’ third goal on Friday night over the Carolina Hurricanes.
At the other end, the Bruins defensemen began to assert themselves more in terms of durability and positioning, thus better containing difficult hurricanes in the attackers. Derek Forport was particularly good, blocking nine cane shots. Bruins did a better job of keeping the stick forward on the perimeter and allowing fewer second chances at the goal mouth.
Scenario to avoid cane
Before losing at TD Garden on Friday night, the Hurricanes won each of their five encounters against the Bruins, including three in the regular season, by a total of 26 to 4… Monday and Wednesday nights, not only because they were so much faster than the Bruins, but they were Significantly physical.
The Canes outperformed them this year, but let’s not forget that they were eliminated in five games by the Bruins two years ago. The year before, it was a sweep because the Bruins had served Rod Brind’Amour’s men.
But with the exception of Tampa Bay Lightning, the Hurricanes were probably the best ice hockey organization in four or five years. Their training is built the right way. Their group of talented young strikers, led by Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and soon-to-be Seth Jarvis, is impressive, and their defense is led by Jacob Slavin, the NHL’s most underrated player. Not to mention Brind’Amour, the world’s rising star trainingAll sports combined.
The Canes would go on to win, and for several years. However, if the Bruins tie for the series on Sunday afternoon (12:30 p.m.), all the pressure on the youngsters’ shoulders will be from the Hurricanes when they return to the PNC Arena two days later. The Bruins will fully regain their confidence, if they haven’t already regained their confidence, and as the series progresses, their experience will stand out in the hot moments.
Two out of three against Bergeron, Marchand, Pasternak and McAvoy? It would be possible for a team as talented as the Hurricanes, but certainly not the ideal scenario after controlling the majority of the first two matches.
Emily Thompson is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about current events and developments that matter to their community. Her work emphasizes useful information, balanced coverage, and stories that reflect the interests, concerns, and everyday experiences of readers across Canada.