In Boston, the Bruins made the most of home ice and got themselves back in their first round series with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves and Boston defeated the Hurricanes, 4-2 in Game 3.
“You do everything you can to win. … It was a great team effort,” Swayman said. “[My first playoff start] was special. … It’s a great experience every time you walk into a full building here, and playoffs are a whole different level. It was great to get the win in front of our hometown tonight.”
Carolina leads the series by a 2-1 count .
Boston went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
“The penalty kill was good for us tonight, obviously,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It has been the whole series. Our power play caught up to it tonight, so that helps. Hopefully, we’re a little cleaner out of the gate on Sunday, but playing with the lead, we’ve talked about it enough. It makes it different for both teams, and it certainly helped us tonight.”
Game 4 is Sunday in Boston.
Brad Marchand hit for a goal and three points in the Boston win.
“I think it felt good to know that we can come back in these situations and we can respond the way we have in the past,” Marchand said. “I think it’s the most I’ve felt engaged. It had kind of been a little while since I’ve felt that into a game. … That’s what we need to play with every day moving forward.”
Charlie Coyle scored in the first period to offset an early strike from Carolina’s Vincent Trocheck scored for a 1-0 lead to the Canes.
“We know what the issue is,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We had a decent first period. Then the power play gave up a shorty, and they got some life out of it. If you give up too many looks to their top guys, they’re going to make you pay. That’s what happened.”
Coyle scored shorthanded.
In the middle frame, Marchand and David Pastrnak gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead, Pastrnak scored off the power play.
Taylor Hall pushed the lead to 4-1 early in the third period of the Bruins’ second power play strike of the game.
Boston scored twice off the power play on fives chances.
Caroline was scoreless n five opportunities with the extra skater.
Jaccob Slavin s scored just past the midway point of the third period for the 4-2 final.
“We knew they were going to be desperate. In the playoffs, you have to be,” Slavin said. “Our 5-on-5 game was strong. We’re getting opportunities. We know how to play and play solid that way. We’ve just got to stay out of the box. When we get a power play, we’ve got to make sure that’s better, and execute on it.”
Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves in the Carolina loss.
“[Kochetkov] was fine. You can’t blame him on any of the goals,”Brind’Amour said. “They were all back-door tap-ins and great players ripping good shots in pretty good areas. The top guys have to be better. It’s simple.”
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