The Boston Bruins have earned their spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final with a 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Bruins top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron played a part in each of the team’s goals. Boston completed the sweep of the Hurricanes, and will have about a week to rest before facing the winner of the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues series.
Patrice Bergeron Leads Bruins To Stanley Cup Final
First Period- Goaltending Duel
In a scoreless first period, it was the goaltenders on either side that shined. In Game 3, it was Tuukka Rask who dominated the Hurricanes chances. He continued that effort, stopping 13 in the first and still heard the “Tuukk” chant inside Carolina’s PNC Arena.
On the other end, in his second start of the series, Curtis McElhinney came up with some spectacular saves to keep the game tied.
The whistles were frequent in this series and the Bruins were called for two penalties to Carolina’s one in the first. All three calls seemed to be, as Mike Milbury described the third one, “flimsy”.
Second Period- More Power Play Success for Bruins
The Bruins broke the tie with a goal less than five minutes into the second period. The Hurricanes were in complete control inside the Bruins zone, but took a ‘Too Many Men’ penalty and the momentum was killed.
For the game’s first goal, Marchand fed Pastrnak with a pass disguised as a shot. Pastrnak beat the Carolina defense and tipped the puck into an almost empty net as McElhinney was expecting a Marchand shot.
The Hurricanes threatened again late in the period, swarming to the goal and generating chances. But again, they took a penalty that ended their zone presence and gave the upper hand back to Boston. And for the second time of the game, the power play unit scored, this time on a snapshot from Bergeron.
Third Period- Preventing Chances
The final frame had few opportunities to score in the first 10 minutes with only one shot on goal that belonged to the Bruins in that time. But 28 seconds after the halfway point, Bergeron got his second goal of the game. Pastrnak forced a turnover deep in the Hurricanes zone and Bergeron maneuvered around McElhinney and buried the third goal.
For the Bruins fourth goal, Marchand got free in the neutral zone and dumped a shot onto the empty net with 2:17 left to secure Boston’s spot in the Cup Final. Tuukka Rask stopped all 24 shots he faced for a shutout, and only allowed five goals all series.
Result
The Carolina Hurricanes took some major steps this season to get back into a championship caliber team. The hockey club shocked plenty of people by making the playoffs after a tough start. They took out the defending champs before sweeping the New York Islanders.
The Boston Bruins are headed back to the Cup Final for the first time since 2013. That year they lost in a heartbreaking Game 6 to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bruins will have a chance to rest. They await the winner of the Western Conference Final.
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