Hurricanes vs Bruins live updates: Canes lose Raanta, but defeat Bruins, 5-2
The Carolina Hurricanes take a 1-0 lead into Game 2 of their first-round NHL playoff series against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday after a 5-1 win to open the postseason on Monday.
Game 3 is Friday night in Boston.
The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander, Luke DeCock and Justin Pelletier are on the scene at PNC Arena as well as photographer Robert Willett. They will have live observations from the scene.
Raanta injured, will not return
Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta left the game with 12:02 to go in the first period after Boston’s David Pastrnak collided with him during a Bruins power play. Raanta was trying to clear the puck and as Pastrnak tried to dodge it he crashed into Raanta’s head, leaving him bleeding from the mouth.
Pastrnak was tagged with a minor penalty and rookie Pyotr Kochetkov — who won all three of his late regular-season starts — made his postseason debut. The Hurricanes announced during the first intermission that Raanta would not return after suffering an upper-body injury.
The Hurricanes are already missing half of their normal goalie tandem, with Frederik Andersen expected to miss most if not all of the first round with a lower-body injury.
Jack LaFontaine was summoned to the locker room to dress as the emergency third goalie, but isn’t allowed to sit on the bench, so he was watching the game on television in the equipment managers’ office.
Third period
Empty net goal seals the deal: Nino Niederreiter scored into the empty net in the final seconds to clinch the Game 2 win.
Bruins get one back: After a period of offensive zone pressure, Charlie McAvoy sent a quick pass into the low slot. Intended for Patrice Bergeron, the puck missed the Boston captain’s stick, but deflected off his skate and past Pyotr Kochetkov to pull the Bruins to within two at 4-2.
Canes go down a skater again: Hurricanes called for too-many-men just shy of the halfway mark of the third. There were, indeed, six skaters on the playing surface. Bruins’ power play, which finally scored a goal earlier this game after extensive work on it in practice yesterday, was again futile on this attempt.
Canes get another 5-on-3 PP: Already up a man, Derek Forbort took a high-sticking penalty while trying to defend on the wing agains the Canes’ PP set. That was a four-minute double minor for drawing blood. But, the Canes’ 5-on-3, and subsequent 5-on-4 opportunities were less than stellar. Boston, in fact, nearly as many chances on the PK as the Canes did on the power play in the first half. The Canes got a few chances near the end of the PP, but Ullmark gloved a few solid chances to force faceoffs.
Second period
Niederreiter makes it 4-1: Nino Niederreiter stuffed the puck past Linus Ullmark on yet another Carolina power play — the Hurricanes are 2-for-6 — to make it 4-1. Tony DeAngelo picked up his third assist of the night on the play. The goal came with 68 seconds left in the period, which passed uneventfully.
Marchand, Kochetkov square off: After Brad Marchand lightly cross-checked Pyotr Kochetkov as he made a save, Kochetkov took exception and Marchand slashed the goalie across the chest. Tough night to be a Carolina goalie. Kochetkov went viral in his AHL debut in February for screaming at the opposing bench — in Russian, presumably — after getting slashed. He is not one to shrink from a fight.
Svechnikov levels Lindholm: Andrei Svechnikov caught Hampus Lindholm circling from behind the net and hit him square in the chest so hard Lindholm’s stick broke off in his hand. Just a devastating, clean hit. The Hurricanes ended up with a power play after the ensuing scrum. The Boston defenseman had to be helped from the ice.
Bruins on the board: After Andrei Svechnikov was called for interference entering the offensive zone, Patrice Bergeron scored on a power play to get the Bruins on the board in the final five minutes of the period. Kochetkov stopped the first 12 shots he faced.
Another PP goal makes it 3-0: With all the shenanigans at the end of the first period, the second started with four Bruins in the penalty box and 54 seconds of five-on-three power play for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes did not convert on the two-man advantage, but Sebastian Aho made it 3-0 with his second goal of the night before the power play expired. Aho’s wrister from the top of the right circle was assisted by Tony DeAngelo — his second — and Teuvo Teravainen.
First period
Up two after 20, but at a cost: The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead — and 54 seconds of power-play time — into the second period but lost goalie Antti Raanta to injury after getting run by Boston’s David Pastrnak. Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho had the goals for the Hurricanes. Raanta had six saves and Pyotr Kochetkov four in relief. There were two scrums in the final six seconds of the period as tempers boiled over.
Hurricanes draw first ... second blood: Kotchetkov stopped the first two shots he faced and the Hurricanes staked him to a 1-0 lead at the 6:58 mark of the first when Jesper Fast took a circle-to-circle pass from Jordan Staal and one-timed it past Linus Ullmark, with Nino Niederreiter creating a distraction in front.
Aho, again: Sebastian Aho remained on a better than point-per-game career postseason pace by putting the Hurricanes up 2-0. Jaccob Slavin triggered the play from behind the Boston net, finding Tony DeAngelo at the point who waited patiently then fired through traffic. Aho tipped the shot through the legs of a leaping Slavin to make it 2-0. Slavin picked up his second assist of the game.
Playing with fire: For the second straight game, the Hurricanes tempted fate by taking early penalties. Nino Niederreiter was called for tripping before Erik Haula drew an interference penalty on Tony DeAngelo after the two had been exchanging shoves earlier. The Hurricanes killed the first thanks to a steal (and scoring chance) from Sebastian Aho and a big Antti Raanta save on Charlie McAvoy. The second ended with Pastrnak’s penalty.
Matchup maintenance: To no one’s surprise, Jordan Staal’s line (and the Brady Skjei-Brett Pesce defensive pairing) again drew the assignment of handling Boston’s top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk.
Getting it started: N.C. Central men’s basketball coach LeVelle Moton (with help from son VJ) was the first-period siren sounder before Game 2. Celebrity chef Aarti Sequera handled the second period and N.C. State baseball star Tommy “Tanks” White the third. (Guess the shoulder’s OK.) For the record, Game 1’s siren sounders: Justin Williams, reality TV stars Penn and Kim Holderness, and North Carolina men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis, who was greeted with a mixture of cheers and boos in N.C. State’s home arena.
Lineup news
▪ No changes for the Hurricanes, who had the same 18 skaters out for warmups as Monday night, with Antti Raanta first on the ice. Linus Ullmark was back in net for the Bruins after allowing four goals on 20 shots in the Hurricanes’ Game 1 win.
▪ That left Ethan Bear, Steven Lorentz and Derek Stepan as healthy scratches again. Pyotr Kochetov was the backup goalie with Frederik Andersen still out. Jack LaFontaine, recalled from Chicago (AHL), is the emergency third goalie.
▪ Brian Pochmara and Dan O’Rourke are tonight’s referees. Mark Schewchyk and Ryan Galloway the linesmen. Hall of Famer Bill McCreary — his mustache alone was worthy of enshrinement — is the series supervisor.
Pregame reading
Hurricanes-Bruins Game 1 of Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN a ratings hit for the network
Carolina Hurricanes built a consistent, winning culture by ‘trying to be like Boston’
What do Hurricanes, Bruins need to change after Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
How the Carolina Hurricanes smothered Boston Bruins in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Playoffs
Carolina Hurricanes owner, NHL commissioner push for arena upgrades — and it’s about time
Worth the wait: Antti Raanta makes statement in Hurricanes Stanley Cup Playoff debut
Hurricanes’ goalie Frederik Andersen discusses injury ahead of Stanley Cup Playoffs
How Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes’ ‘ultimate leader,’ keeps team on a winning path
Hurricanes-Bruins Stanley Cup Playoff series predictions: Here’s what people are saying
If Hurricanes truly have taken a step forward, Bruins a perfect playoff bellwether
Hurricanes ‘rolled the dice’ on goalies. Are they better off this year than last?
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Hurricanes vs Bruins live updates: Canes lose Raanta, but defeat Bruins, 5-2."
