BOSTON – The Bruins will close out their five-game homestand on Wednesday night as they host the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden in search of their sixth straight victory. It marks the first meeting of the season between the clubs.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop on TNT and 98.5 The Sports Hub:
Opposing View
After a slower start to the season, Carolina has played strong hockey in recent weeks and is in the midst of a 7-2-1 stretch. The Hurricanes, coming off a 5-2 loss to Minnesota on Sunday night, are third in the Metro Division with a 25-15-5 record and 55 points.
“They hunt pucks all over the ice,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. “They punt a lot of pucks and they get their speed, they get their forwards out of the zone, they get on top of you. They pressure you all over the place, so that’s why I say it’s a hornet’s nest. They go to the net and spend more time in the offensive zone than any other team in the league.”
Carolina is paced by All-Star Sebastian Aho, who leads the club with 51 points and 16 goals in 42 games. Seth Jarvis (15-19—34), the injured Andrei Svechnikov (11-19—30), Michael Bunting (10-20—30), and Martin Necas (11-18—29) round out the ‘Canes top five scorers. Former Bruin Dmitry Orlov has 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 45 games.
“I’m excited to play them, they are always a very tough team to play,” said Bruins captain Brad Marchand. “It kind of feels like a playoff game every time you play them. It will be interesting to see…they’re playing really, really well right now. It’s a great challenge when you play a team like them.”
Goalie Spencer Martin, a newcomer to the Hurricanes, could be “in line to make his first start” with the club, according to Hurricanes.com. Netminders Frederik Andersen (blood clots) and Pyotr Kotchetkov (concussion protocol) have been out since Nov. 6 and Jan. 11, respectively.