Gold: Hurricanes back in Boston
Posted January 18, 2022 3:57 p.m. EST
Updated January 18, 2022 4:45 p.m. EST
Way back in October, as the Carolina Hurricanes were steaming out of the gates to a 9-0-0 start, the Boston Bruins were among those victims in a game at PNC Arena. The Canes beat the B’s in a 3-0 shutout winto run their mark to 6-0-0 while sending the visitors to their 2nd straight loss and a 3-3-0 start.
Things have changed considerably.
Boston is one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having won 5 straight and 8 of their last 9. Brad Marchand was just named the league’s 1st star of the week having rung up 10 points (6g, 4a) in four wins. And, the club welcomed back goaltender Tuukka Rask, who took kind of the Justin Williams approach to the 2021-22 season. Not sure he was going to play, then opted back in and now splitting time with Linus Ullmark between the pipes.
Since resuming the schedule after a rough bout with Covid and the longer-than-expected holiday break, Boston has shuffled their forward lines and caught fire. “Perfection” is no longer the rule as Bruce Cassidy broke up the Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak trio. Bergeron and Marchand are still a thing, but the high-scoring Czech winger is now playing on a line with taylor Hall and former Hurricanes center Erik Haula and they have given the Bruins something they’ve been looking for for a long time – a dynamic second scoring line.
That “second” line has produced, big time. Pasta has 8 goals and 10 points in the last 9 games, Hall has 3 goals and 8 assists and Haula 7 points (2g, 5a) in the 8-1-0 stretch. Marchand’s scorching streak hasn’t just lasted the week, either. He’s got 9 goals and 7 assists in the 9 games and the newly constructed top line with Bergeron (1g, 6a) and winger Craig Smith (3g, 3a) haven’t exactly been terrible.
Bottom line, this is a fantastic test for the Canes, who are looking to put consecutive solid performances on the ice for the first time since before Santa came down the chimney.
The ins and outs...
A week ago, before the game that wasn’t played in Philadelphia, Hurricanes star defenseman Jaccob Slavin entered the league’s Covid-19 protocol. He missed the loss to Columbus on Thursday (insert joke here about him not being the only one) and the bounce back win over the Canucks. Well, he’s returned to the team and will be back in the lineup tonight against the Bruins.
Martin Necas will not. He was placed on the Covid-19 list by the club yesterday and will be out of the lineup at least for tonight’s game and most likely through Friday’s game at PNC Arena against the NY Rangers. Necas is coming off one of his best games of the season, which featured a goal and an assist on his 23rd birthday.
Line ‘em up...
Jarvis-Aho-Teravainen
Svechnikov-Trocheck-Niederreiter
Lorentz-Staal-Fast
Martinook-Kotkaniemi-Stepan
Slavin-DeAngelo
Skjei-Pesce
Smith-Cole
Andersen
Coverage of the Hurricanes and Bruins begins at 6:30 with Storm Watch starring Alec Campbell. Tripp Tracy and Shane Willis have the call of the action after 7:00. Don’t forget to follow the Canes Corner Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. A new episode drops the #MorningAfter every Hurricanes game.
