Recap: Teravainen The Hero As Hurricanes Top Bruins 3-2 In Overtime

Teuvo Teravainen’s goal 3:01 into overtime was the difference as the Carolina Hurricanes clawed back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a point in their tenth straight home game, a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins to extend their winning streak to three entering the Christmas break.

Riding a nine-game home point streak, the Hurricanes looked every part a team that had played 24 hours before. Despite the Bruins being in the same circumstances, they came out and totally dominated the Canes, firing 15 shots on Cam Ward who was by far the best player on the ice for the home team - and that’s less a reflection on his play (albeit he was mostly solid) than that of the team in front of him, which could generously be described as abysmal.

The first period could be summed up in Justin Faulk hunting Brad Marchand in front of the Canes bench, knocking him off the puck, then immediately passing it to no one and giving David Pastrnak a free shot from between the circles.

Midway through the first period, Ryan Spooner deflected a Torey Krug shot off the far post and in past Ward, another play that was started from behind the net that the Canes were totally unable to defend. Shots in the first period were 15-8 Bruins, who were up 12-2 at one point and were on cruise control.

The B’s doubled their lead 3:17 into the second period on the power play, when Marchand tipped a Spooner shot through Ward’s five-hole. Bill Peters at this point had seen enough, and totally changed every combination except for the fourth line, looking for some sort of spark.

They got it unexpectedly at 10:12, when Jordan Staal, reunited with Teravainen and Sebastian Aho for the first time since returning from his concussion, pickpocketed Austin Czarnik while shorthanded and took off. Staal had a breakaway from the red line and made no mistake, beating former teammate Anton Khudobin to pull the Canes to within one.

Staal’s goal was one of just four Hurricanes shots in the second period, outshot by the Bruins 14-4 in the frame.

The Canes’ first two power plays of the game went for nought in the opening five minutes of the third period, but they slowly turned the tide, limiting the Bruins to only two shots while slowly turning up the pressure on Khudobin.

Then, off a faceoff with 6:48 gone in the third, Faulk wired a beautiful wrister from a set play. Faulk snuck off to the side as Staal won the faceoff to Elias Lindholm, who one-touched a pass to Faulk at the far circle. The defender had all day to line up a laser, his third goal in the past four games, to beat Khudobin and tie the game.

An incredible shift by the Bruins’ third line with 2:30 to go, where they hemmed the Canes in their defensive zone for nearly a full minute, couldn’t force the Canes to break, and they got to the end of regulation to earn a precious point.

Despite some long shifts to start overtime, the Canes made it two points just past the midway mark of the extra session. Teravainen’s wrister from ten feet out beat Khudobin above his blocker at 3:01 of overtime to give the Canes the win and send the 12,924 at PNC Arena home happy.

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