Bruins Drop Game 2 to Carolina, Fall into 2-0 Series Hole

RALEIGH, N.C. - Patrice Bergeron scored two goals, but the Bruins are headed home facing a two-game deficit after falling, 5-2, to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of their opening-round series on Wednesday night at PNC Arena. Boston, once again, failed to secure a lead against the 'Canes and was down, 2-0, after 20 minutes, a deficit that increased to 4-1 after two periods.
"One game at a time," Bergeron said when asked how the Bruins can get the series back on track. "All we can focus on now is Game 3. It's playoff hockey. You're gonna have some adversity. For us, it's early."

The Bruins, in a 2-0 series hole for the first time since the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, must now take advantage of home ice as the series shifts to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4 beginning on Friday night.
"Hopefully we'll get a lift at home," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "We've played well all year there, so that will be the challenge for us. Maybe get away from a few matchups, maybe that'll help us. But I have a feeling the way they play, their whole group can check in and that's how they play well, is they check, they get pucks back.
"I don't know if that will be a defined advantage or not, but we've just got to get a little more urgency and I've got to coach a little more urgency out of our guys to create a little more offense and that will be the challenge on Friday."

Here are some more news and notes from the Bruins' 5-2 loss in Game 2:

Lindholm Injured on Heavy Hit

Hampus Lindholm left the game in the second period after taking a thunderous hit from Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov as he turned and rounded the Bruins' net. Lindholm struggled to get to his feet and needed assistance from Bruins assistant athletic trainer Dustin Stuck and teammates Linus Ullmark and Jake DeBrusk to make his way to the Boston dressing room.
Lindholm did not return due to what the Bruins termed as an upper-body injury. After the game, Cassidy said that the blue liner was "not doing well" but did not know if he had been transported to a hospital.
"It looked high to me, that's why he left the game because he has an upper-body injury," Cassidy said of the hit. "It was on time, but it looked high. They didn't see it that way. Sometimes those get reviewed, sometimes they don't. I'm not sure about this one. I have not heard anything so I guess we will see on that."

Raanta Exits Early, Too

The Hurricanes suffered a significant loss of their own as goalie Antti Raanta, who has been filling in for the injured Frederik Andersen, left in the first period after a collision with David Pastrnak. The Boston winger was initially assessed a five-minute major but after review, the officials reduced it to a two-minute minor for goalie interference which wiped out a Bruins power play.
"It's David Pastrnak, we are on the power play, he's trying to chase down the puck…that's why they changed it from a five to a two," said Cassidy. "His foot caught his pad, he's trying to block that clear, but get out of the way. So, I don't think there was any intent there at all."
With Raanta unable to return, Carolina rookie netminder Pyotr Kochetkov was forced into action and made 30 saves on 32 shots in his postseason debut.
"That is their third goalie and they already lost their first one," said Cassidy. "Probably they knew they're going to have to tighten up in front of him to give him a chance…when you're thrown in like that. They do that very well over there. They can check well. And I thought they did. They let him get a feel for the game. Then later we got a little more pressure. But now he's into the game a little more."

More Special Teams Troubles

While the Bruins broke through with a Bergeron power-play tally late in the second period to cut Carolina's advantage to 3-1, Boston's struggles on special teams continued. The Bruins surrendered two power-play goals to the Hurricanes, sandwiched around Bergeron's marker, which left them in a 4-1 hole after two periods.
"And then it comes down to discipline," said Cassidy. "We were in the box a lot tonight and we have to look at that and see what was warranted, what wasn't. But that can't continue."
Overall, Boston went on the kill nine times and faced three separate 5-on-3 situations. Carolina capitalized on its second two-man advantage when Nino Niederreiter made it 4-1 with 1:08 remaining in the second period.
"Go back to it's playoff hockey, the tempo fired up," added Bergeron. "We've got to do a better job of being composed and disciplined. Obviously, you can't give them that many 5-on-3s, they're gonna make you pay. I think you want to play between the whistles, play physical and hard. But you want to make sure it's the right way because tonight they scored some goals on the power play and it hurt us, basically."

Top Trio Reunited

Cassidy reunited Bergeron and Brad Marchand with Pastrnak in the second period as he shuffled his forward lines in an effort to create an offensive spark. Bergeron followed with two goals - one on the power play - as Boston broke through for its first multi-goal output against the Hurricanes in five games (three regular season, two playoffs) this season.
"Just to get a spark. Not much was happening…they've been together and sometimes it will give you a lift," said Cassidy. "It's something we may have to do going forward. It was always going to be something we would consider if need be. I think the balanced scoring has been good to us. But we got one the other day. So, we've got to get something going here and moving one player off the line I don't think will solve all that.
"We need to get some other lines closer than that. Finishing some plays, bigger bodies get to the net and second chances because their goaltenders are doing a good job stopping the first one. Some of those guys are going to have to find their offensive game here."
Boston's bench boss went on to say that the Bruins should be able to build off the two-goal showing as the series shifts to TD Garden.
"We're closer to scoring. We scored a couple. I thought the young kid [Carolina goalie] did a real good job," said Cassidy. "We could have more than two. And to me, it's not too little too late because you're not on to the next city. It's the same series. So, once you start getting some confidence and knowing you can score it, the other team realizes that too."
Bergeron's two goals gave him 48 for his playoff career and pushed him into sole possession of second place on Boston's all-time postseason goals list, surpassing Phil Esposito (46). Cam Neely holds the club record with 55 playoff goals.

Where to Improve

When asked where the Bruins could make improvements heading into Game 3, Cassidy listed off several areas from the net on up to the forward group.
"We need a timely save. There's no doubt about it. I mean, we got better," said Cassidy. "But we certainly are going to need some timely saves when the tide gets shifted, like they got early on and late and early on the other night and then keep finishing."
"I think we can attack their D more and force them to defend," added Cassidy. "We do have some elite offensive players, we talk about timely goals. We need a little more of that and our high-end guys need to be willing to attack a little more and see if you can break them down. Coming through the neutral zone, they have very good gaps, are a very mobile team and, again, I'll repeat, a very good defensive team.
"But we still have to find ways to create and some of it will be on our skill guys to use their speed and ability to create something for themselves. And the other lines have to be a little more direct, win a race and get it into the dirty area and score those goals."