The Boston Bruins will open the NHL postseason on the road in a best-of-seven series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
At first glance, this seems like an impossible mission after the franchise formerly known as the Hartford Whalers went 3-0 against Boston this season, outscoring them by a 16-1 margin. However, things have changed since the last time the two clubs met on Feb. 10, a 6-0 Bruins home loss.
The Hurricanes went on to win the Metropolitan Division with a 54-20-8 record, going 8-2 in their final 10 games despite losing both goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta to injury. The Bruins finished the season strong, unable to catch Tampa Bay for third place in the Atlantic Division, but closed out on a 6-4 run and a 51-26-5 record.
Carolina is looking to avenge playoff losses to Boston in 2019 and 2020, when they won just one of nine games. Even though Carolina is the favorite, the teams are closer than the regular season series indicates. Here is a  by-position breakdown of both clubs and what to expect.
Forwards
Both Carolina and Boston have quality scorers and depth up and down their respective rosters.
Boston coach Bruce Cassidy’s decision to slot Jake DeBrusk as the top line’s right wing and let Erik Haula ride as second-line center turned Boston’s sluggish season around in dramatic fashion with big runs in January and March.
Up front, it comes down to the trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, whose presence on the second unit with Haula and Taylor Hall raised the octane levels of the Boston offense. Pastrnak posted his second career 40-goal campaign, while Marchand led the team in scoring with 80 points.
On Thursday Bergeron notched his eighth career hat trick to hit the 400-goal milestone. He trails only Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito and Rick Middleton on Boston’s all-time goals list. More impressive has been the captain’s all-around game, on track for a possible fifth Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.
Carolina’s top center, 24-year-old Sebastian Aho, is coming off of an 81-point campaign. He can both set the table and finish, with his 37 goals second to a career-high 38 tallies two years ago. With fellow Finn Teuvo Teravainen on his left side and rising star Seth Jarvis on the right, the Hurricanes can bring the speed, skill and effort to their No. 1 line.
Haula and Hall finished the season hot, while Pastrnak brings a lethality to that line that creates matchup challenges for coach Rod Brind’Amour that weren’t there when No. 88 skated with Bergeron and Marchand. The balance of Boston’s top lines will be a critical element to success.
Veteran Vincent Trocheck skates with Russian stud Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas, as a line that brings more speed and creativity with all three bringing that element of vision and playmaking ability.
Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass.) and Craig Smith bring a heaviness and high pace to the third line, with Trent Frederic finally figuring out what he needs to do to be an impact NHL forward after being drafted in the first round in 2016. Nick Foligno, Curtis Lazar and Tomas Nosek are a capable if unspectacular fourth line. Gritty veteran Chris Wagner (Walpole, Mass.) slotted into the Boston lineup well for the final regular season game and makes a good addition to the playoff mix if injuries strike.
Veterans Jordan Staal, Nino Niederreiter, Jesper Fast and Jesperi Kotkaniemi all provide experience, depth and secondary scoring to the Hurricanes offense.
Both teams’ forward groups match up pretty well. Carolina’s stars are younger and bring more team speed than the Bruins, but with almost 300 games of combined playoff experience between Bergeron and Marchand, that will still be a key factor in the tighter, more defensive postseason games.
Defense
Boston’s top pairing of Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm will play the lion’s share of minutes.
Since arriving from Anaheim via trade, Lindholm’s presence in the lineup has made a big difference both in the defensive zone with his sure stick and with mobile puck retrieval/transition style. He battled a lower-body injury in recent weeks, but even at 90 percent, he makes the Boston defense significantly better than it was before GM Don Sweeney hit pay dirt to bring him in.
Carolina will counter Boston’s No. 1 duo with Jaccob Slavin and Tony DeAngelo. At 6-foot-3, 207 pounds Slavin (42 points) is the more capable two-way player, but DeAngelo is a threat to advance pucks with his passing or feet. He’s risk-reward at times, but Boston will have to account for him and how he supports the rush with Carolina’s dangerous forwards.
Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.) and Brandon Carlo form a solid second unit for the B’s, with complementary playing styles.
Carolina’s second grouping of former UNH star Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei are bigger and more productive on the back end than Grzelcyk and Carlo. Pesce’s mobility and reach will be a challenge for Boston’s forwards to cleanly gain the Carolina zone consistently.
For the third pairing, Boston will go with Derek Forbort on the left side, while Connor Clifton is expected to play his natural right. Mike Reilly is next man up as the seventh defender, but there isn’t a lot of depth, and he’s not had a lot of time skating on his right (off) side as a left shot.
Ian Cole, Brendan Smith and Ethan Bear round out Carolina’s mobile and experienced blue line corps. They are capable and experienced enough to take on some of the minute load for the top 4.
Both teams have been among the league’s most effective at keeping the goal totals down, but Carolina does have an offensive advantage with its skill and ability to activate at the right times to pinch and maintain offensive pressure.
Goaltending
Linus Ullmark finished the year playing his best hockey, posting his only shutout of the season against his former Buffalo Sabres. Despite an even 41-game split between him and rookie Jeremy Swayman, the 29-year-old will get the nod in the first playoff test of his career. If he falters, Cassidy won’t hesitate to tap Swayman, who is the franchise’s future after finishing up with 23 wins and respectable numbers.
Andersen is nearing a return, and could be ready to go for Game 1. He’ll be expected to shake any rust off and get right to business. However, he’s had a tough time against the Bruins in the postseason. In consecutive series in 2019 and 2020 he lost seven games, and will have to get over that mental obstacle.
The 6-foot-4 Dane has put up good numbers in both regular and postseasons. If he’s healthy and can go, he’s been a big factor in Carolina’s division title. That plus his experience gives the Hurricanes an edge.
Coaching
Cassidy’s main strengths are in his structure and game planning skills. He’s already pointed out that the B’s are in a better spot than they were when the two last met.
Brind’Amour brings the same kind of high-energy, intense style to the Carolina bench that he did as a player. However, he has yet to prove he can win in the playoffs. No excuses this time, however: he has a better and more experienced team than in the previous playoff losses to the B’s.
Outlook
For the Bruins to win, they will need top goaltending and for the power play to be more effective than it was down the stretch. Carolina’s power play isn’t much higher than Boston’s, at 21.98 percent versus 21.19, which is saying something when you consider the B’s went through an 0-for-40 stretch.
This should be a competitive, entertaining series. Carolina has the better team on paper and the confidence after owning the Bruins in the regular season. The Bruins are trending up and mostly healthy at the right time.
Prediction: Flip a coin, but the wily veteran Bruins shock the Hurricanes to win it in seven.
