The script could not have been written better for Carolina Hurricanes rookie defenseman Noah Hanifin in the bottom of the fifth round of the shootout. The Boston native and former Boston College player swooped in and roofed a backhander over Bruins goalkeeper Tuukka Rask to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 shootout win over the Boston Bruins, taking a costly point away from Boston as it chases a playoff berth.
Goalie Cam Ward was excellent in the Hurricanes’ (35-29-16) victory, stopping 35 of 36 shots in regulation and overtime and stopping all five Bruins (41-30-9) shooters in the shootout.
The Bruins seemed to have a slight edge to start the first period, but Ward held serve, and the Canes turned it up as the period went along. Carolina capitalized with 1:06 remaining in the opening frame as a point shot by rookie defenseman Jaccob Slavin beat Rask through a screen to send the Canes to the locker room with a 1-0 lead. Boston got two power plays in the period, but Carolina’s penalty kill was ready to go.
Boston came out firing, pressing for the equalizer early in the second, and nearly tied it about four minutes in, but Ward stoned forward Brad Marchand’s backhand shot all alone in front of the net. It was the Canes’ turn to come up empty on the power play in the second, as the Bruins penalty kill held them scoreless on two full attempts.
Boston got another power play of its own late in the period, but some key blocks kept the Bruins’ man advantage off the board again. The Canes could not capitalize on an abbreviated 30-second power play to end the period, taking both a power play and one-goal lead to intermission.
The Canes could not capitalize on their power play with fresh ice to start the third, and the Bruins wasted little time tying things up. Forward Loui Eriksson, who took the penalty scored on a breakaway out of the box, made a nice move to beat Ward. It was a pass by former Hurricanes defenseman John-Michael Liles, who was traded to Boston at the trade deadline that sprung Eriksson’s breakaway.
Both teams pushed to take the lead throughout the third, but neither could dent its opponent’s armor, and the game headed to overtime.
The 3-on-3 overtime featured its usual chaos, with Slavin scorching the goal post with a shot from the slot and Ward robbing Eriksson with a double-pad stack save before the game headed to the shootout.
Prior to Hanifin’s goal, forwards Riley Nash, Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm and Sergey Tolchinsky missed for the Hurricanes in the shootout.
The team will now head back to PNC Arena one final time for this season, hosting the Montreal Canadiens in Thursday night’s home finale.
