Perhaps the most discouraging part of the Bruins’ 5-2 loss to the Hurricanes in Wednesday’s Game 2 is that it looked so similar to their 5-1 loss in Monday’s Game 1.
The Bruins once again started the game pretty well, registering eight of the game’s first 10 shots and drawing two early power plays.
But they once again failed to turn their early opportunities into a goal, and eventually saw Carolina take a 1-0 lead instead. This time it came later in the first period rather than the second.
They once again did not respond well to that first goal, with the Hurricanes keeping up the pressure and the Bruins looking staggered. It took Carolina less than two and a half minutes to double its lead… again.
Preventing the Hurricanes from getting bodies and pucks to the net for tips and screens remained a problem, as Sebastian Aho’s goal to make it 2-0 came off another deflection. The Bruins still didn’t do enough to create those kinds of chances for themselves either -- at least not until they had already fallen behind 3-0, at which point Patrice Bergeron did score two goals by going to the front of the net.
The Bruins were reminded yet again of how opportunistic Carolina is. Failing to get the puck out of their zone when multiple players -- namely Connor Clifton and Erik Haula -- had a chance to do so led to the Hurricanes’ first goal. David Pastrnak bracing for a hit from an oncoming Jaccob Slavin instead of playing the puck led to a turnover and eventually the second goal.
For the second straight game, Linus Ullmark was not the reason the Bruins lost, but he also didn’t come up with the one or two grade-A saves that could have swung some momentum and kept the Bruins in the game either.
Pretty much across the board, the Bruins didn’t seem to have any more answers in Game 2 than they had in Game 1, or had in any of their three regular-season meetings with Carolina. If they don’t find any in the next couple days, their season is going to be over very soon.
Frustration certainly wasn’t an answer. The Bruins took 13 penalties Wednesday night and gave the Hurricanes nine power plays. While some of those calls were highly questionable -- like an inexplicable roughing all against Brandon Carlo at the end of the first period that gave Carolina a 5-on-3 -- the Bruins had nobody to blame but themselves for others.
Just a couple minutes after the Hurricanes made it 3-0 early in the second, Trent Frederic took a foolish interference penalty. He got a lengthy benching from coach Bruce Cassidy as a result. A few minutes after Bergeron cut it to 3-1, Brad Marchand decided to get into a slashing match with Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov for some reason. Marchand watched from the box as the Hurricanes made it 4-1 a minute later.
Maybe reuniting “The Perfection Line” could be an answer. Cassidy did that in the second half of Game 2, and it did seem to provide some offensive spark. In their 3:58 together at 5-on-5, the Bruins had a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal, a 4-1 advantage in high-danger chances, and a 1-0 edge in goals. All three were on the ice for Bergeron’s power-play goal as well.
With home ice and last change for Friday’s Game 3, Cassidy would also be able to keep that trio away from the Jordan Staal line, the Hurricanes’ best defensive line. It would mean a less balanced offense, but the Bruins haven’t exactly been getting a whole lot from the more balanced lineup anyways.
Other changes further down the lineup could be in play, too. Frederic played just six minutes on Wednesday with his benching built in, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him scratched Friday. Chris Wagner and Anton Blidh are both with the team as possible replacements. While neither can be counted on for much offense, either could bring some energy and physicality that might spark something.
Switching to Jeremy Swayman in goal could be another possible answer. Again, Ullmark hasn’t really been bad, but he certainly hasn’t been great either. Perhaps Swayman will be. The Bruins need great right now with how little the offense is scoring.
They will likely be forced to make a change on defense as a result of Hampus Lindholm suffering a head injury. Mike Reilly taking his place on the second pairing next to Brandon Carlo is the most logical choice. The Bruins will need Reilly and Matt Grzelcyk to step up on the left side.
Lineup changes alone will not solve the Bruins’ problems, though. They need more from Marchand (0 goals, 1 assist in the series) and Pastrnak (0 points), period, whether they’re on the same line or not. They need Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith (0 points combined) to get the third line off the ground, no matter who their left wing is. They need Cassidy and his staff to come up with a better plan of attack in general.
Falling behind 0-2 in a series is not a death sentence. Heck, the last time the Bruins did it was the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, and that turned out OK for them. But they need to find some answers, and fast.
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