Hurricanes at Bruins
THE STORY: The Boston Bruins looked like they were suffering through a Stanley Cup hangover during their first four games. After a shootout win on the road over the weekend, perhaps the Bruins are returning to the sort of stifling defense and opportunistic offense that made them champions. Top center David Krejci remains out of the lineup with a core injury but Tyler Seguin has stepped up in his place, assisting on the tying goal Saturday and netting the shootout winner. The Carolina Hurricanes have won back-to-back games, beginning with a 3-2 triumph over the Bruins on Wednesday. They dominated on special teams in a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. The Hurricanes will be looking to make it three straight when they visit Boston on Tuesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Carolina, NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (2-2-1): Carolina began the season 0-2-1 largely because of a power play that had converted 2 of its first 14 opportunities and a penalty kill that got burned on five of 16 chances. Things have turned around in two straight victories, with a power-play goal in each game and an 11-for-11 penalty killing unit.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (2-3-0): Boston was on the verge of falling into a 1-4-0 hole in the third period Saturday. But Nathan Horton made it 2-2 with his first goal and the Bruins took the Chicago Blackhawks to a shootout, where Seguin was the only one to score. While the penalty kill has been impressive, Boston is 0 for 20 on the power play since converting its first chance.
OVERTIME:
1. Saturday marked Boston coach Claude Julien’s 300th win.
2. Hurricanes star Jeff Skinner has at least one point in each game except Wednesday’s contest against the Bruins.
3. Seguin’s lone regulation tally came against the Hurricanes, marking his first point in five career meetings.