The Carolina Hurricanes did something out of the ordinary when playing against the Boston Bruins — they won a game with offensive power. In a 3-2 win that saw the Canes lead for over 40 minutes, Carolina took down one of the hottest teams in the NHL.
The Hurricanes (26-15-5) came into the match reeling from a 5-2 home loss against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Jan. 21. Despite outshooting the Wild 42-19, Carolina once again showed its weaknesses in offensive follow-through. That wasn’t the case against the Bruins (29-9-9) though — the Canes scored once every period against the best team in the Atlantic Division.
Both teams came out of their respective locker rooms ready to fight, keeping the shots minimal as the first period dragged on. Boston got an early scoring opportunity during a power play less than five minutes into the game, but it couldn’t capitalize against Carolina netminder Spencer Martin. Martin put on a performance against the Bruins and finished with a .929 save percentage after he was claimed off of waivers from Columbus just days prior.
Carolina was the first team on the scorecard thanks to center Martin Necas. With about two minutes left in the period, the Canes were given a power play opportunity due to a holding call against Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. The clock ticked down for Carolina — which ranks third in the NHL in the power play — but defenseman Brady Skjei fed Necas a pass that enabled him to put the puck in the net just in time to put the Canes up 1-0.
Heading into the second period with a 1-0 lead is a good feeling, made even better by increasing your lead to 2-0 halfway through the frame. On yet another power play, centers Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho fed left wing Teuvo Teravainen for his 15th goal of the season. Jarvis, in just his fourth season in the league, is now five points away from his single-season high of 40 points in the 2021-22 season.
The Bruins’ scoring troubles can be largely attributed to the amount of turnovers the black-and-gold gave away. Boston totalled 18 turnovers and five takeaways in 60 minutes of play, granting Carolina a significant advantage.
But even with a 2-0 lead, no one is guaranteed a win. Boston was determined to go down swinging in the third period — two quick goals from left wing Brad Marchand tied the game up at two goals apiece with 13 minutes left to play.
However, left wing Jordan Martinook didn’t leave Canes fans worried for too long. The veteran scored a breakaway goal with three minutes left in the game to make the score 3-2. With this goal, Martinook has scored a goal in five of his last six games. Aho recorded another assist off the goal, stretching his point streak to three games.
Stopping the No. 2 team in the NHL is no easy feat, especially when it’s riding a five-game winning streak. Four Carolina defensemen recorded over 20 minutes of icetime and the team dished out 25 hits throughout the game.
Next up, Carolina is set to travel back to Raleigh to take on the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Jan. 25. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
