Bruins Series Sweep

By SAM BARRET ‘21

A couple weeks ago, the Boston Bruins swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. The Bruins have played a solid season up to this point, and are likely to continue their successful streak in pursuit of the Stanley Cup, having taken a 2-1 lead over the St. Louis Blues in the finals; the Hurricanes, conversely, have stumbled. But what factors decide these results?

Goaltending has been a stand-out strength for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask, the Bruins’ starting goalie, entered the playoffs with a strong record for the season, but after this last series, it’s clear he’s determined to become more and more successful. According to CBS Sports, he saved 109 of 114 shots throughout the series, and his performance has led to a remarkable series save percentage of 0.956 that raised his postseason percentage to 0.942. Having a determined and effective goalie like Rask is highly beneficial for the final series result and the team's morale. On the other hand, the Hurricanes lacked goaltending talent. Even though their starting goalie, Petr Mrazek, returned after an injury, he was unstable on the ice and unprepared for a playoffs game. After he allowed a disappointing total of eight goals over the course of the first two games, the coach caught on and replaced Mrazek with the Hurricanes’ secondary goalie, Curtis McElhinney. Marginally more successful, he allowed only five goals during the final two games of the series. However, they were still unable to match the Bruins’, specifically Rask’s, performance.

In regards to the team at large, the Bruins dominate yet again. Though a few of their starters did not score any even-sided goals, the second and third lines compensated for those starters. Since most of the scoring opportunities come later in the game, ten of the Bruins’ series goals were scored by players who formed the bottom six players or the third line of the roster. Some of these players scored their first career NHL goals during these games. The Bruins’ confidence in their second and third lines was critical in helping the team continue their top-tier performance throughout the entire series. By contrast, the Hurricanes relied heavily on their front six players; only one of their series goals was scored by a player outside the top six. Combined with Rask in the Bruins’ goal, the Hurricanes were presented with few scoring opportunities; any attempt at the series win-- or even any single game win-- was unrealistic from the get-go.

Ultimately, with impressive backup from Tuukka Rask and the bottom half of the roster, the Bruins emerged as the better team, significantly more prepared for the final. With a team comprised of capable individuals, the Bruins will continue their winning streak and only build their strength as the playoffs continue.