How the Hurricanes gave up 4 goals to the Bruins and landed on brink of playoff elimination
For the Carolina Hurricanes, life in the bubble could fast be coming to an end.
The Canes lost a two-goal lead in the third period and then Game 4 on Monday as the Boston Bruins surged to a 4-3 victory and a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup playoff first-round series.
Unless the Canes can find a way to win Game 5 on Wednesday, their Return to Play postseason in Toronto will be over. And that could be a big ask given how strong and well the Bruins have played, with the Canes now without injured forward Andrei Svechnikov and having center Jordan Staal leave Monday’s game with an injury.
For two periods Monday, the Canes stayed in front. Justin Williams scored his first postseason goal and Jordan Martinook, moved to the top line by Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, scored off the rush in the second for a 2-0 lead.
Goalie James Reimer, getting his third postseason start, was making all the saves, in charge and unrattled in net. The Bruins, again playing without forward David Pastrnak, were dangerous at times but not able to get the puck past Reimer.
But for the Canes, it all came undone in the third. It was a near complete collapse as the Bruins scored four times, held the Canes without a shot nearly all of the period and dominated every facet of play.
“It was tough to watch, that’s for sure,” Brind’Amour said. “We learned a lesson. I love this team but we learned a lesson today. ... We just sat there and we let them take it to us. And that’s what championship teams do, they take it to you. We’ve got to learn from that but this one is going to sting for a while.”
Canes vs. Bruins: That third period
The Bruins did take it to the Canes. Jake DeBrusk scored twice in the third, Brad Marchand scored and defenseman Connor Clifton banged one past Reimer from the right circle as the Bruins outshot Carolina 16-2 in the period and outchanced them 11-2.
The Canes killed off a penalty against defenseman Dougie Hamilton to begin the third and preserve the 2-0 lead. That seemed important at the time.
“That should have got us kind of going,” Brind’Amour said of the kill. “But it was just one of those (games) where we couldn’t stop it. As I said it was tough to watch. That’s not something I’ve seen out of us, ever.”
DeBrusk got the Bruins on the board when Reimer came too far out of his crease to try to play the puck, the forward getting to it first between the circles and scoring into an empty net. Just like that, the game changed.
Clifton tied the score off a Joakim Nordstrom pass. Marchand converted a Williams turnover into a breakaway score off a Torey Krug pass as Williams couldn’t recover and get back.
When DeBrusk scored again, after a Martin Necas turnover, Boston had a 4-2 lead.
“Quite frankly it was as ugly a period as I’ve seen us play,” Williams said. “You have to take ownership of it and I certainly have to take ownership of that third goal. Being in the league as long as I have you can’t turn the puck over at that juncture when you haven’t had a shot the whole period.
“It’s certainly not what we’re accustomed to and we got it handed to us.”
The Canes, with an extra attacker, made it a 4-3 game on Teuvo Teravainen’a late goal but the damage was done.
“Give the other team a lot of credit,” Brind’Amour said. “They came after it. But the lack of pushback we needed is something I haven’t seen out of this group.
“I’ll take the heat for that. I need to have my guys better prepared for that third period that was coming. I’ll learn, as well. ... It’s not really the score but how we played that period that’s disturbing for me. I’ve got to have my guys better ready to go in the third for such a crucial game.”
Staal, Svechnikov injuries
Staal’s injury is another concern. The team captain took a big, clean hit from defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the third and left the ice. His availability for Game 5 was not immediately known.
Svechnikov, injured late in Game 3, watched the game Monday from the stands, his right foot in a walking boot. Brind’Amour, in the pregame show on Fox Sports Carolinas, said the injury wasn’t as severe as many first feared it might be.
The Canes have been in the NHL “bubble” in Toronto for more than three weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. They’re playing for a Stanley Cup and still have that incentive but it’s now win or else.
“All you can say is they have to win four and we don’t have any leeway,” Williams said. “We’ve got to go, go, go. It’s going to be tough but it ain’t over yet and we’re going to give it our best.”
Hurricanes vs. Bruins, Game 5
When: 4 p.m., Wednesday
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Watch: NBCSN, FS-CR
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 10:50 PM.
