Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins: ECF Game 3 Preview and Storm Advisory

The Hurricanes take on the Bruins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals as they try to climb back into the series in front of their home fans. The team hasn’t lost a game on home ice yet this postseason, and they’ll need to continue that streak in order to give themselves a chance to come back in the series.

Game Notes

• The Hurricanes come into tonight’s matchup down 2-0 in the series. Since the conference format’s inception in the 1981-82 season, the teams claiming a 2-0 lead in the conference final won almost 94% of the time. The Canes have a tough hill to climb, but they’ve already done it once this postseason.
• With an assist in Game 2, Sebastian Aho has extended his point streak to four games. The streak is the longest by a Hurricanes player this postseason.
• Justin Williams’ goal in Game 2 was his 25th career playoff point (11g, 14a) with Carolina, which moves him to seventh on the team’s playoff points list — a position previously held by Matt Cullen. (Can you guess the top six players?)
• Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen both recorded a point in Game 2. At least one of them has recorded a point on 16 of the Canes 38 goals this postseason (42.1%).
• Warren Foegele (5g, 4a), Andrei Svechnikov (3g, 2a), and Saku Maenalenen (1a) have combined for 15 points this postseason, giving the Canes the most points from rookies in the NHL this postseason.
• Yesterday at practice, Petr Mrazek was in the starter’s net. The Hurricanes do not skate this morning, so we may not know until the pregame warmup if it will be Mrazek or Curtis McElhinney in goal tonight.

Storm Advisory

• Why Canes skaters are doing too much in this series. [The Athletic]
• It feels like this story has been written more than a few times, but: why the Hurricanes embraced the Bunch of Jerks moment instead of fighting it. [Pro Hockey Talk]
• RDU International Airport had some advice for the Boston Bruins and their new partner plane that JetBlue unveiled yesterday.

• The weirdest controversies of this NHL Playoffs. [ESPN]
• Dylan Larkin lifted the United States past Finland yesterday in overtime in the World Hockey Championship.

About Last Night

• The Blues avoided falling into the 2-0 series hole last night as they took down the Sharks in San Jose as Robert Bortuzzo (!) picked up his first career playoff goal. Despite the loss, Logan Couture stayed hot with two more goals in the span of two minutes. The series will resume in St. Louis on Wednesday tied at 1-1.
• Trivia answer: Eric Staal, Ron Francis, Rod Brind’Amour, Kevin Dineen, Ray Whitney, Cory Stillman