3 Keys: Hurricanes at Bruins, Game 4 of Eastern First Round

(1M) Hurricanes at (WC1) Bruins
12:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, NESN, BSSO
Carolina leads best-of-7 series 2-1

The Boston Bruins will look to even the the Eastern Conference First Round against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 at TD Garden on Sunday.
Carolina won the first two games, 5-1 on Monday and 5-2 on Wednesday, before the Bruins won 4-2 in Game 3 at home Friday. It marked the first win for Boston against Carolina this season after being outscored 26-4 in five combined regular-season and playoff games, dating to Oct. 28.
"We got through one game," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're still behind. We're still facing adversity. We need to continue to get better to get a win [Sunday]."
When Boston took the lead at 5:41 of the second period in Game 2, it marked its first lead against Carolina since Aug. 19, 2020, when the Bruins clinched their first-round playoff series against the Hurricanes.
"We expect them to come with a response," Boston forward Jake DeBrusk said. "They're a very highly motivated team. … This is the best I've seen them play."
The Bruins won Game 3 after trailing 2-0 in a best-of-7 series for the 14th time in their history. Boston has won two series in 28 tries after trailing 2-0, each time in 2011, when it defeated the Montreal Canadiens in seven games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final.
Teams that take a 2-1 lead in a best-of-7 series hold a series record of 369-158 (.700), including a 7-4 mark in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 4-2 in the first round.
Here are 3 keys for Game 2:

1. Securing special teams

Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin was blunt after Game 3.
"The specialty team battle is what cost us the game," he said.
Carolina allowed power-play goals by Boston forwards David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall, and a shorthanded goal by center Charlie Coyle. That was enough for the Bruins to win. That will have to change in Game 4, in addition to the Hurricanes simply staying out of the penalty box.
"Both teams had good kills going on," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We did a nice job killing penalties too. It's just, you give too many up. Even the second one, they made nice plays but we had the puck. We had a chance to get it out, it just didn't work. It was in our net. We've got to be better there. That's the game."

2. Goalies, goalies, goalies

The Bruins and Hurricanes have made Stanley Cup Playoffs history, with multiple games in the series having opposing goalies making his first career playoff start.
Boston's Linus Ullmark and Carolina's Antti Raanta each did so in Game 1; the Bruins' Jeremy Swayman and the Hurricanes' Pyotr Kochetkov each did so in Game 3.
The question is which goalies will continue to outperform their experience.
Raanta will return and start Game 4, after coming out of Game 2 because of an injury. Swayman will start again for the Bruins after he made 25 saves on 27 shots for his first playoff win in Game 3.

3. Top line in tip-top shape

Boston appears poised to keep its top line together, with Pastrnak staying with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. It worked in Game 3, and the Bruins will need more of the same as the series continues.
Boston is 18-4 in the playoffs when each member of that line gets on the score sheet.
And Marchand mentioned after Game 3 that he felt more engaged than he had in some time, which was a good sign for the Bruins. Boston needs that trend to continue as well.
"It's nice to see that back," Cassidy said. "I don't know if it ever completely left, but it appeared that way for a little while. Only he can answer that. But whatever the case is, we need him to be that confident guy."

Hurricanes projected lineup

Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis
Max Domi -- Vincent Trocheck -- Teuvo Teravainen
Nino Niederreiter -- Jordan Staal -- Jesper Fast
Derek Stepan -- Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Martin Necas
Jaccob Slavin -- Tony DeAngelo
Brady Skjei -- Brett Pesce
Brendan Smith -- Ian Cole
Antti Raanta
Pyotr Kochetkov
Scratched: Ethan Bear, Steven Lorentz
Injured: Frederik Andersen (lower body), Jordan Martinook (lower body)

Bruins projected lineup

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall -- Erik Haula -- Jake DeBrusk
Tomas Nosek -- Charlie Coyle -- Craig Smith
Nick Foligno -- Curtis Lazar -- Chris Wagner
Matt Grzelcyk -- Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort -- Connor Clifton
Mike Reilly -- Josh Brown
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Scratched: Anton Blidh, Trent Frederic
Injured: Hampus Lindholm (undisclosed)
COVID-19 protocol: Charlie McAvoy

Status report

The Hurricanes did not practice Saturday. … Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Stepan will replace Martinook, a forward who left in the second period of Game 3. ... McAvoy was placed into NHL COVID-19 protocol Sunday; his absence could mean Brown plays for the first time in the series. ... Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak and McAvoy each did not skate Saturday because of maintenance; each is expected to play. … Lindholm will not play, but Cassidy said the defenseman is "feeling better" after leaving in the second period of Game 2 following a hit from Svechnikov.