Bruins' power play rips Game 1 from Hurricanes

[May 10, 2019]  The Carolina Hurricanes were embraced as a "Bunch of Jerks" in advancing through two rounds of the playoffs, but a rough style of play cost them in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Bruins.

A slew of third-period penalties by Carolina allowed the Bruins to score two power-play goals in a span of 28 seconds and rally past the visiting Hurricanes 5-2 in the opener of the best-of-seven series Thursday.

The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead into the third before Marcus Johansson and Patrice Bergeron scored on the man advantage to give the Bruins a 3-2 edge.

Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner added empty-netters 11 seconds apart late in the period as Boston extended its winning streak to four while halting Carolina's at six.

Tuukka Rask continued his strong playoff showing with 29 saves for the Bruins. Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 23 shots in his return from a two-game absence following a lower-body injury.

Game 2 is Sunday in Boston.

The Bruins, who entered the game as the most dangerous team on the power play in the playoffs, converting at 28.6 percent, took advantage when Jordan Staal boarded Wagner to lead to Johansson's score on a cleanup of a Brad Marchand shot at 2:26.

Dougie Hamilton was then called for roughing 15 seconds later, and Bergeron tallied on a feed from Marchand at 2:54 for the go-ahead score.

"The penalties put us on our heels right from the start," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We never recovered."

Hamilton, a former Bruins first-round pick who heard plenty of jeers from the crowd, was again called for interference at 5:29 of the third, but the Hurricanes killed that penalty.

"He was trying to be engaged and maybe took it too far," Brind'Amour said of Hamilton. "I was frustrated at everybody on some of the calls, but we've got to kill (the penalties)."

Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) and center Sebastian Aho (20) battle for the puck with Boston Bruins center Joakim Nordstrom (20) in front of Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40) in game one of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the third period, the Bruins went scoreless on two power-play chances while committing three penalties of their own. Carolina had a 25-18 edge in shots through the first two periods.

"We had the early penalties so we started to get frustrated," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Then we kind of settled in and realized (being) tough is winning puck battles, going to the front of the net and blocking shots. ... We figured it out eventually."

Steven Kampfer, playing his second playoff game with defenseman Charlie McAvoy suspended for an illegal check in the series finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets, got the Bruins on the board at 2:55 of the first period. However, the early lead lasted less than a minute.

The Hurricanes replied three seconds after Sean Kuraly went to the box for roughing. Sebastian Aho deflected a pass from Andrei Svechnikov in front of the net for a 1-1 tie at 3:42 of the first.

Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara ended the opening period in the locker room after blocking an Aho shot with his right foot and limping down the tunnel. Chara returned early in the second.

Carolina took a 2-1 lead in hectic fashion at 9:18 of the second. Greg McKegg's shot trickled through Rask's legs just before the forward crashed into the goal and knocked the net off its moorings. The goal counted without review.

"They're not going to go away," Wagner told NBC Sports postgame of the Hurricanes. "They're physical all over the ice, maybe to a fault, so we've got to take advantage."

--Field Level Media

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