#1 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes
by Brian Finkelstein
One of the more intriguing series of the second round will begin tonight in Boston as the upstart Hurricanes face off against the #1 seed Bruins. The Hurricanes are coming off one of the most grueling and competitive first round matchups since the NHL began its current playoff format in 1994. Carolina disposed of the Devils by winning two games in the last minute of regulation and one game in overtime all while coming back from a three games to two deficit. Meanwhile the Bruins have been waiting patiently for 10 days for tonight's game. In fact, the Bruins were so desperate for a real opponent that on Tuesday, they held a 20-minute scrimmage.
The key matchup in this series will be between the two men behind the pipes. Boston's Tim Thomas is coming off a career year in which he led the league in save percentage and goals against. Thomas is probably the favorite to claim the Vezina. Meanwhile, former Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward led the Eastern Conference in wins while posting a 2.07 GAA and a 17-4-3 record since March 3rd.
Another intriguing mathcup of the series is Hurricanes top goal scorer Eric Staal and the Bruins Zdeno Chara. Staal was dominant along the boards against the Devils. New Jersey's Colin White and Mike Mottau had a difficult time knocking Staal off the puck and as a result, Staal's line dominated in the Devils' zone. Claude Julian will certainly play his best and biggest defenseman against Staal as much as possible. If Chara can knock Staal off his game, look for the Bruins to cash in with their balanced lineup while neutralizing the Canes' top threat.
However, after watching the Devils-Hurricanes series closely, I believe the Hurricanes 40-goal scorer will find a way to create space and control the puck. Perhaps more importantly, I fear the Bruins weren't challenged enough by a disappointing Canadiens team and the 10-day layoff will be too much to overcome. Look for Carolina to steal one of the first two in the Garden, grab control of the series, and take it from there. Canes in 6."
by Brian Finkelstein
One of the more intriguing series of the second round will begin tonight in Boston as the upstart Hurricanes face off against the #1 seed Bruins. The Hurricanes are coming off one of the most grueling and competitive first round matchups since the NHL began its current playoff format in 1994. Carolina disposed of the Devils by winning two games in the last minute of regulation and one game in overtime all while coming back from a three games to two deficit. Meanwhile the Bruins have been waiting patiently for 10 days for tonight's game. In fact, the Bruins were so desperate for a real opponent that on Tuesday, they held a 20-minute scrimmage.
The key matchup in this series will be between the two men behind the pipes. Boston's Tim Thomas is coming off a career year in which he led the league in save percentage and goals against. Thomas is probably the favorite to claim the Vezina. Meanwhile, former Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward led the Eastern Conference in wins while posting a 2.07 GAA and a 17-4-3 record since March 3rd.
Another intriguing mathcup of the series is Hurricanes top goal scorer Eric Staal and the Bruins Zdeno Chara. Staal was dominant along the boards against the Devils. New Jersey's Colin White and Mike Mottau had a difficult time knocking Staal off the puck and as a result, Staal's line dominated in the Devils' zone. Claude Julian will certainly play his best and biggest defenseman against Staal as much as possible. If Chara can knock Staal off his game, look for the Bruins to cash in with their balanced lineup while neutralizing the Canes' top threat.
However, after watching the Devils-Hurricanes series closely, I believe the Hurricanes 40-goal scorer will find a way to create space and control the puck. Perhaps more importantly, I fear the Bruins weren't challenged enough by a disappointing Canadiens team and the 10-day layoff will be too much to overcome. Look for Carolina to steal one of the first two in the Garden, grab control of the series, and take it from there. Canes in 6."
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