Bruins Drop Series Opener to Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Bruins were playing a solid road hockey game on Monday night.
Boston had carried play for much of the opening 30-plus minutes of Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes, but couldn't sneak one by Hurricanes netminder Antti Raanta, who was filling in for the injured Frederik Andersen, despite a number of closes calls.

That inability to capitalize came back to bite the B's - who outshot the 'Canes, 36-25 - as Carolina eventually broke through for two quick tallies late in the second period to seize momentum and eventually hand Boston a 5-1 loss at PNC Arena.
"Goalie made saves and there were some pucks around the front of the net we just couldn't locate or take the right path, but they were there. He's paid to play, too. And he did a good job," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of Raanta, who had multiple pucks trickle through him during the first period that the Bruins failed to bury.
"It's an easier game for us if we get the lead. They play better when they have it. They're made for that. They check well and it opens them up a little bit if they're behind. So, it could have had an impact in the game for sure if we finished. We didn't. It wasn't from lack of effort. We were ready to play. We just couldn't put anything in the net early on."
While the four-goal gap between the teams seemingly continued what has been a year-long trend - Carolina has now outscored the Bruins, 21-2, in four games this season - the game was far closer than the final score indicates.
"I thought we controlled play the first period, the first real 35 minutes of the game and we weren't able to jump out to a lead," said Taylor Hall. "You see the crowd gets into it, they get playing and they get feeling good about it. That's the way it goes. A familiar situation for us at the start of the playoffs. Last year we lost Game 1 [against Washington] and were able to come back and rectify some of the stuff that we wanted to. That's our goal coming into Game 2."

After Carolina struck for two goals just 2:10 apart (at 16:28 and 18:38) late in the second period to open up a 2-0 lead,, Hall notched Boston's first goal of the playoffs just 2:53 into the third to cut the B's deficit in half. The winger nearly tied the game moments later when he rang another opportunity off the post, but Carolina put the game away at 7:02 of the final frame when Teuvo Teravainen finished off a 2-on-1 with Vincent Trocheck to restore the Hurricanes' two-goal advantage.
"We got a goal in the third. Really unfortunate that we gave up that third goal. I think we had them on their heels a little bit," said Hall. "We were playing a good brand of hockey and we had a lot of time to get that second goal. Those are real spots in the game that you want to control and you don't want to sell the farm with 15 minutes left in the game to tie it up. It's a long game and anything can happen."
Carolina went on to extend its lead to 4-1 with 3:01 remaining when Trocheck banked one in off the back of Linus Ullmark, before Andre Svechnikov buried an empty-netter a minute later.
"It was a really solid road game against a team that plays well at home. A lot of really good things," Hall said of the Bruins' effort over the first half of the game. "It was just can we create those second chances and can we hang around the net and get some bounces our way, and unfortunately we didn't do that.
"They got a goal, got their crowd into it and they probably feel pretty good about their game going into Game 2. But it's a long series. I think it's pretty easy to pinpoint what we need to do better in Game 2. We're a pretty good team at making adjustments…it's gonna be a long series, no matter what happened tonight."

Ullmark Makes Playoff Debut

Ullmark got the call between the pipes for his postseason debut - Trent Frederic also made his playoff debut for the Black & Gold - and made 20 saves on 24 shots, while crediting his teammates for their work in front of him throughout the evening.
"I thought the guys did a tremendous job," said Ullmark. "You know it's gonna come down to some lucky bounces here and there and that's hockey…at the end of the day, it's all about stopping pucks. It doesn't matter how you do it. I have to stop one more than [Raanta] to win the game. It's as easy as that."
Cassidy, who did not fault Ullmark for the loss, said he would announce on Tuesday who would start Game 2 for the Bruins.
"The 2-on-1 is a great play by them. They executed it," said Cassidy. "You don't want to be in that position. So, it's a great shot. The last goal wouldn't have mattered…short side. He's going to tell you it's not a great goal to give up. By then it's 4 to 1, so we're not going to put anything on Ullmark.
"Whatever goalie is in there for us, you've got to fight to find pucks..I thought was the same at the other end. Early on, Raanta was fighting to find them. There were some rebounds there. We just didn't capitalize.
"It could have gone the other way if some of those have eyes early on, but they didn't, so give them credit. That's how they play. We'll have to do a better job in lanes and Linus will have to work harder to find it as well."

Power Play Struggles Continue

While the Bruins broke through with three power-play goals over their last two regular-season games to snap an 0-for-39 stretch, their struggles continued in Game 1 with an 0-for-3 showing, which included just six shots on goal against the league's No. 1-ranked penalty kill during the regular season. Boston's final power play of the night came midway through the third with the B's trailing, 3-1.
"We can't rely on our power play against the No. 1 P.K. but it does have to give us some juice," said Cassidy. "And I thought the first couple we did, we did get some looks…but the third one was disappointing. Our entries when we did get in, we mishandled some pucks or didn't execute once we got it back. It's been a challenge for us the last month on the power play.
"Those guys have to take a little more ownership of it. Those are our top guys, so hopefully they'll be better at it Wednesday because we do have to get some life from it. Just because they have the best PK doesn't mean we can't score on it.
"We've done it in years past in the playoffs and it certainly can be a weapon if we get it going."
Hall added that the Bruins must do better to adjust to the "stiffness" of the Carolina killers at their own blue line.
"When I say that, I mean they make you put it in [the zone], they make you put it to spots and then they pressure where they think you're gonna move the puck to next," said Hall. "For us, it has to be kind of a 5-on-5 mentality. If we can hold onto it and shake a guy, their pressure is so hard, there's gonna be some holes that open up.
"We reviewed that. I think our first power play was really good on that. The second and third ones weren't great."