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Jeremy Perry
Hurricanes vs. Bruins Game 1 Prediction, Stanley Cup Playoff Odds
The Carolina Hurricanes disposed of the New York Rangers in the qualifying series in three games, quickly disposing of a young squad that many thought could be a surprise team in the playoffs. Now we’ll see if the ‘bunch of jerks’ just ousted and young team that wasn’t really ready for the playoff spotlights or whether this year’s Hurricanes are ready for another deep postseason run. In the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals, the Hurricanes will take on the Boston Bruins – the team that finished the regular season with the most points. It’s no surprise that Boston is favored both on the series and in Game 1.
Hurricanes vs. Bruins NHL Stanley Cup Odds
The Hurricanes have had ample rest before this game but that might not be a good thing. They are 0-4 this season when having three or more days of rest and 6-17 in their last 23. However, they are 23-13 on the year when facing a team with a winning record.
Boston has dominated this series, winning 10 of the last 11 meetings overall. They are just 11-8 in their last 19 against teams above .500.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes looked fantastic in the qualifying series round, not only bouncing the Rangers in three games but never really being threatened. They scored quick goals in Game 1 and 2 to gain momentum, and when the Rangers scored first in Game 3, the Canes quickly tied things back up and eventually wrested control. The Hurricanes even started backup James Reimer in Game 3 after Petr Mrazek allowed just three goals in the first two games while posting a .940 save percentage. Considering the Rangers finished fifth in goals per game at 3.33 and managed just four goals in the entire series, that’s a nice accomplishment by the Rangers.
The Hurricanes only faced Boston once this season and were shut out 2-0. However, that game was in Boston and the Bruins won’t be having home-ice advantage here. That’s a huge boost to the Hurricanes chances as the Bruins were 22-4-9 at home this year while the Hurricanes were just 19-13-3 on the road.
Boston Bruins
If the Bruins want to make a serious playoff run, they’re going to have play better than they did in their exhibition games. They lost all three of their round-robin games, looking awful at both ends of the ice. The team that averaged 3.24 goals per game this season scored a total of four in the bubble so far. The Bruins top line has done virtually nothing. And the team that led the NHL with 2.39 goals per game just hasn’t been that great as they’ve allowed nine goals in three games.
As a result of the Bruins losses, they’ve gone from being the top seed in the East to fourth. Now their path through the playoffs will be that much harder.
