Bergeron nets double overtime winner, Fleury scores first career playoff goal as Canes drop game one

Of course Hurricanes-Bruins game one was going to multiple overtimes. Of course it was. After the opener of this series was delayed about 15 hours from its original start time due to Tampa Bay and Columbus going to quintuple overtime last night, it should have made sense the Canes were destined to play extra hockey.

Unfortunately for Carolina, this one did not go as well as its last double overtime, as Patrice Bergeron gave the Bruins a 4-3 win early in the second overtime. Joel Edmundson, Brock McGinn and Haydn Fleury (first playoff goal) scored for the Canes. Petr Mrazek made 37 saves on 40 shots, getting little help from the defense.

The penalty kill continued to be strong, going 4 for 4, but the power play was an issue as the Canes went 0 for 3, and a man advantage goal could have made the difference in a game in which the Canes were outplayed but still hung around.

Fleury played a whale of a game, finishing with his first career playoff goal, two shots on goal, a +1 rating and multiple big hits in 20:32. He also played 3:07 shorthanded.

After not calling a blatant slash on the Bruins against Brady Skjei, the refs later called Skjei for holding, giving Boston a power play with 1:36 to play in the first overtime. Carolina killed the penalty to start double overtime, but Bergeron finished a slick feed from David Pastrnak to end it.

Despite the Bruins controlling play early and the Canes struggling to get any good looks, it was Carolina that dented the scoreboard first.

With about seven minutes left in the opening frame, Edmundson took a combined drop pass from Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen in the slot and blasted a shot past Tuukka Rask to make it 1-0.

The Bruins’ big line struck to tie it with under two minutes to play. Off a faceoff, Jaccob Slavin briefly got puck watching, which was all Boston needed, as Brad Marchand feathered a cross-ice pass to David Pastrnak that the Czech winger knocked past Mrazek to make it a 1-1 game.

The power play did not look nearly as good as it did against the Rangers early on, as the Canes generated just one shot on goal in two man advantages over a period and change to start the game.

Boston came inches from taking a 2-1 lead shortly after killing Carolina’s power play, but Jake DeBrusk rang a shot off the iron on an odd-man rush.

Boston did take the lead shortly after, as, off a net-mouth scramble with Mrazek out of position, Charlie Coyle banged in a loose puck to make it a 2-1 game. The Canes challenged the goal for a possible hand pass before, but the goal was upheld, which also sent the Bruins to the power play off the lost challenge. It also appeared Mrazek had covered the puck, but Anders Bjork knocked it free.

Ball (puck) don’t lie, however, as Brock McGinn immediately tied the game at two with a slick move to the backhand on a shorthanded breakaway.

DeBrusk had another near miss right after the Canes killed the Bruins’ power play, but fired a shot through the crease. Boston’s tough luck/Carolina’s good luck continued, as Matt Grzelcyk rang a shot off both posts.

Mrazek was called upon often, as, despite the Bruins outshooting the Canes 21-9 through two frames, the game remained tied at two heading to the third.

The Bruins wasted little time taking a 3-2 lead early in the third period, as, following a great save by Mrazek, David Krejci grabbed the rebound and wrapped it around his pad.

Carolina tied the game up about halfway through the third, as Fleury, who has continued to have a very good postseason, sniped home a shot from the point to make it 3-3.

The Canes will have to turn the page quickly, as thanks to the schedule change, they’ll now be playing a back to back with game two set to drop the puck at 8 p.m. tomorrow night. It’s possible Carolina could see some lineup changes for that one, including James Reimer in net.