Hurricanes walk ‘fine line’ against Bruins to keep discipline in rough playoff series
If the Carolina Hurricanes had their druthers, they’d play a skill game for 60 minutes, relying on speed, aggressiveness and depth to win games.
But if push comes to shove ...
“We know we have a lot of hard-nosed players,” Canes defenseman Tony DeAngelo said. “We’re not going to be pushed around.”
The Boston Bruins tried that Wednesday. It didn’t work. Game 2 of their playoff series against the Hurricanes ended just like the first, with a loss that puts the Bruins in an 0-2 hole with the best-of-seven first-round series headed back to Boston for two games.
“It’s not about the fights and stuff,” DeAngelo said Wednesday after the Canes’ 5-2 victory. “If it happens it happens, we don’t really care. We’re trying to play in between the whistles. If they want to get into the stuff after, hopefully the same thing happens and they get penalties. We’re going to go to the power play and try to capitalize there. Our main goal is to stay disciplined between the whistles.”
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said the NHL sent out a memo before the game to “stay out of the stuff.” The league might have to send it out again before Game 3 on Friday. Stuff happens, especially in the playoffs.
An overflow crowd of 18,880 at PNC Arena seemed to enjoy much of it. The scrapes and scrums were many as referees Dan O’Rourke and Brian Pochmara tried to keep control, calling 13 penalties on the Bruins, six for roughing.
The Canes’ Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter each scored twice in the game and both had power-play goals as the Canes had the better of special teams play. DeAngelo assisted on the two power-play scores and had three assists for the night.
Brind’Amour said his team kept the proper discipline while matching the Bruins’ intensity and physicality.
“That’s definitely a fine line, but I thought we did a pretty good job of managing that line and certainly not going over it,” he said after the game.
The Canes believe Boston’s David Pastrnak crossed the line in the first period when he hit goalie Antti Raanta in the mask, knocking Raanta out of the game and bringing in rookie goalie Pyotr Kochetkov. Defenseman Derek Forbort later did the same by high-sticking Canes forward Teuvo Teravainen, and there were more incidents.
Pastrnak avoided a major penalty after review and received two minutes for goaltender interference — a decision that incensed many in the crowd, who loudly let it be known. Forfort was given a double minor for popping Teravainen.
Then there was Andrei Svechnikov’s collision with the Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm. The Canes’ power forward powered his way through the defenseman — a clean but massive hit that incensed the Bruins, clean or otherwise.
“Like I said all year, whatever way the game goes I think we’re capable of playing it,” Brind’Amour said. “If it’s a physical game, I think we have plenty of guys who can do that. If it’s a skill game, I think we’re pretty capable of doing that, too.”
One Canes player who has thrived in the rough-and-tumble of the two games has been Niederreiter. The winger, strong at 6-2 and 218 pounds, has been all over the ice, scoring three goals, bouncing people around and joining with center Jordan Staal and winger Jesper Fast to give the Canes heavy, productive play.
Consider that Niederreiter had three goals and seven points in 29 postseason games with the Canes the past three seasons. But he’s in a contract year and is due to become an unrestricted free agent.
At 29, he’s playing for a new contract. More importantly, he’s playing for the Stanley Cup.
“Absolutely,” he said after Game 1. “It helps when you get on the score sheet but at the end of the day it’s a team game. You’ve got to find a way to contribute in any way that you can.”
If there’s “stuff” after the whistle and Niederreiter is on the ice, No. 21 often is in the middle of it. That doesn’t figure to change as the Hurricanes look to continue treading that “fine line” in Boston.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 11:14 AM.
