Boston Bruins Versus Carolina Hurricanes: Preview, Odds, and Predictions

The highly anticipated clash between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins is set to take place on Thursday, February 10th. The Hurricanes, leading the Metropolitan Division, will make their way up the coast to face the Bruins, who currently hold the fourth spot in the Atlantic Division. Despite their rankings, both teams have been on a winning streak, ensuring an exhilarating NHL showdown awaits.

In the ongoing season, the Bruins and Hurricanes have clashed twice thus far, resulting in the Hurricanes taking the lead with a 2-0 record. Impressively, the Hurricanes secured victory in both matches, dominating the Bruins with scorelines of 3-0 and 7-1, respectively.

Despite the Bruins’ impressive 11-5 record in January, they will face the challenge of maintaining their momentum. Currently, the Bruins hold a 22-12-2 record for the season, while the Hurricanes boast a strong 26-8-2 record.

How do the Hurricanes weather the storm?

Without a doubt, the Hurricanes possess the most formidable defense in the NHL at this moment. Throughout the season, they have conceded a mere 98 goals and allow an outstanding average of 28 shots on goal per game, which is the best in the NHL. Although they grant their opponents the fourth-highest number of power-play opportunities, only 10% of these chances result in successful conversions.

Throughout the entire month of January, the Hurricanes permitted no more than three goals in a game on only three occasions, while managing to restrict their opponents to fewer than three goals on five separate occasions.

The entire defensive team deserves recognition, but it is important not to overlook the contribution of Hurricanes goalie Frederik Anderson. He is having an outstanding season, only conceding slightly more than 2 goals per game and making saves at an impressive 93% rate.

On Thursday, he will surely face a significant challenge against the Bruins, who have an average of 35 shots on goal per game.

Can the Bruins brew up an upset?

Despite the Bruins’ dominant record against the Hurricanes this season, I believe there is a strong possibility for an upset. This is mainly due to the fact that the Hurricanes tend to give their opponents ample opportunities on the power-play, ranking fourth in the league for allowing such chances. Interestingly, the Bruins possess the fourth-highest power-play conversion rate in the NHL, successfully scoring 26% of the time when they have the advantage.

Although the Hurricanes have effectively prevented teams from taking advantage of opportunities, it could be risky to grant a powerful power play offense the opportunity to capitalize.

Brad Marchand, the Bruins Winger, has been experiencing a notable streak recently, managing to secure at least one point in five out of his last six games. It is worth mentioning that the majority of his points have been acquired through assists. On the other hand, Marchand has only managed to score one goal in his previous eight games.

Prediction

Overall, we can anticipate a more intense match between these two teams compared to their previous encounters this season. The Bruins have shown commendable performance since their last meeting in mid-January and will undoubtedly strive to secure a crucial victory on their home turf.

I anticipate a highly competitive game that will likely be decided in the final moments. However, if the Bruins can take advantage of the Canes’ errors, they have a good chance of emerging victorious from TD Garden.

Prediction: Bruins 3-Hurricanes 2