Bruins vs. Hurricanes Game 1: Winners and losers from Bruins’ double-overtime win

The Boston Bruins took a 1-0 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes

They didn’t reach the epic standards set by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets the night prior, but the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes created fireworks of their own on Wednesday afternoon.

In their first meeting in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins pulled off the 4-3 win in double-overtime to take a 1-0 series lead over the Hurricanes, thanks to a snipe of a shot by Boston center Patrice Bergeron. While the game featured plenty of playing scoring goals, it wasn’t without its controversy. Here are the winners and losers of Game 1 between the Bruins and Hurricanes.

Winner: Bruins’ top line

Through the seeding games against the Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, the Bruins’ top line was virtually nonexistent. Rocket Richard-winner David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand were held pointless, while Patrice Bergeron tallied an assist through those three contests.

Maybe the extra day off caused by the quintuple-overtime game did wonders for the Bruins’ top line, because they looked as dominant as ever on Wednesday afternoon. After Boston surrendered a goal to Hurricanes defenseman Joel Edumundson in the first period, Pastrnak answered with a goal of his own, thanks to a cross-ice pass from Marchand off the face-off win by Bergeron. Then, of course, Bergeron scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime after tic-tac-toe passes from Pastrnak and Marchand.

It took four games, but the top threats in the Bruins’ lineup have finally arrived to wreak havoc against Carolina’s defense.

Loser: Rod Brind’amour loses controversial goal challenge

Is it really a Stanley Cup Playoff game without controversial calls? Of course not!

Five minutes into the second period, Bruins center Charlie McAvoy broke the 1-1 tie with a snipe shot into the wide open net. The thing is, Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek appeared to have covered the puck after an onslaught of shots on net by Boston. However, the puck escaped and Coyle capitalized. The thing is, Bruins winger Nick Ritchie knocked the puck out of the air, which landed on Mrazek. As the netminder covered the puck, fellow Boston winger Anders Bjork knocked it out of his glove, thus allowing Coyle to capitalize.

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’amour challenged the play, but after official review the NHL ruled that since Mrazek controlled the puck, it canceled out Ritchie’s hand pass. So, Coyle’s goal counted. To make matters worse, Boston was awarded with a power play opportunity due to Carolina losing the challenge.

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After the game, Brind’amour was none too pleased by the ruling, calling the league “a joke.” He further elaborated on it, but used very explicit language.

The Hurricanes played the role of the opponents of the San Jose Sharks from last season (Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche). Luckily for the Canes, they got a bit of karmic justice.

Winner: Bruins’ confidence

The Bruins were the best team in hockey prior to the league shutdown, and it wasn’t even close. They had lethal scoring, a hard-hitting defense and a Vezina award-winning performance by Tuuka Rask. But once they entered the bubble environment in Toronto, Boston was a completely different team.

The Bruins couldn’t do anything against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning or Washington Capitals in the round-robin seeding games last week. In fact, the team only scored four goals in those three matchups. Everyone were stunned to see how anemic and lost they looked on the ice.

Boston certainly shut everyone up with its performance on Wednesday. The Bruins thrive when they’re counted out, and they had to hear the noise inside their hotel rooms for the past week-plus. This is a game they truly needed to show that they’re not going away easily in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Loser: Bruins’ power play unit

While the Bruins have finally awakened, their power play unit was still in a deep slumber. Boston had four power play opportunities in Carolina, but couldn’t capitalize whatsoever. With all that talent, it’s quite stunning, to be frank. Boston only had three shots on goal. Oh, and they saw one of those opportunities lead to a Carolina goal (we’ll get to that later). Furthermore, the Bruins failed to score on a single power play upon entering the bubble! That’s troubling.

If the Bruins want to make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final, they need to take advantage on man advantage situations … pun intended.

Winner: Brock McGinn’s hustle shorthanded

As mentioned earlier, the Bruins were awarded with a power play opportunity due Brind’amour’s failed coaches challenge. But Carolina was handed a mulligan by a higher power. While shorthanded, forward Brock McGinn picked off a Pastrnak pass and went on the breakaway. After some impressive dangles, McGinn put the puck past Rask to tie the game.

This was the ultimate form of karma for the blown call earlier, and is further proof that “puck don’t lie.” But, if that Coyle goal didn’t count, the Hurricanes probably would’ve gotten the victory in regulation.

Regardless, we can’t ignore the incredible hustle that McGinn displayed on this goal during the second period of the game.