Preview: Game One vs. Boston
Canes and Bruins open the Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena
When: Monday, May 2, 7 p.m. EST
Watch:Bally Sports South, Bally Sports App, ESPN
Listen:99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes.com/Listen, Hurricanes App
Canes Regular Season Record:54-20-8 (#1 Seed - Metropolitan Division)
Canes Last Regular Season Game:6-3 Win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, April 28.
Bruins Regular Season Record:51-26-5 (#1 Wild Card)
Bruins Last Regular Season Game:5-2 Loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, April 29.
Head-To-Head Regular Season Meetings:
THE QUICK HITS:
Comin' In Hot:The Canes won their last six regular season games, surging into postseason play. Perhaps what makes it most impressive is that they haven't had their ace netminder, Frederik Andersen, for any of the six.
Andersen Update:Andersen was ruled out for Game One of the series on Sunday by head coach Rod Brind'Amour. The reigning Jack Adams Award winner said that the goaltender did touch the ice, a significant step forward after being out of action since Saturday, April 16, when he left the game vs. Colorado in the third period with a lower-body injury.
Opportunity Knocks:With Andersen out, one of either Antti Raanta or Pyotr Kochetkov will start in net tonight for Carolina. While Raanta has played in five playoff games over the course of his career, he did not start any of them. As for Kochetkov, he has three total games of NHL experience to his name, all coming within the last 10 days.
Making A First Impression:Rookie Seth Jarvis enters his first Stanley Cup Playoffs on a career-long seven-game point streak. With three goals and four assists dating back to April 16, the right-handed forward has taken his play to a new level since coming back from a stint of being healthy scratched in March. No first-year player in the NHL has more points since March 6 than Jarvis, who has 21 points in 24 games.
Brady's Bunch:Jarvis isn't the only Canes player to end the regular season scorching, as Brady Skjei also had six points in six games to round out the 82-game schedule. One of just two players to play in all 82 for Carolina, the defenseman has been one of the best point-producing defenseman in the NHL since the calendar flipped to 2022. Starting January 1, only Roman Josi and Cale Makar have more even strength points (32) than Skjei.
Playing The Full 60:The Canes finished the regular season with a league-best +45 goal differential in the third period.
Get The First One:Boston scored the game-opening goal in 49 of their 82 games this year. They won 37 of them. One of only three teams better than them? Carolina, who also scored first in 49/82, winning 39.
A Look At The Other Side:Since the last two teams met on February 10, Boston has accumulated 52 points, fifth best in the entire National Hockey League. Prior to Friday's loss in Toronto in which the team sat the majority of their star players, the Bruins had won four in a row, including wins over Florida and the New York Rangers. The usual suspects have gotten hot for Boston, with Patrice Bergeron having nine points in his last three games, Brad Marchand having seven points in his last four games and David Pastrnak having six points in his last three games.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
What Are We Wearing?:The Canes will be wearing their black sweaters for all home games in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
More Milestones:Jaccob Slavin is just two points shy of passing Dave Babych for the most points by a defenseman in franchise postseason history.
Worth A Click:
Round One Preview: Canes vs. Bruins
Canes Surge Into Playoffs As A Model Of Consistency
Fast Named Chiasson Award Winner
Andersen, Raanta Win Jennings Trophy
Canes Practice Rink Officially Named Invisalign Arena
CanesCast Episode 210: As One Race Ends, Another Begins
Canes Clinch Division Title For Second Consecutive Year
Canes 2022 Playoffs Merch
Round One Tickets On Sale Now
