The Boston Bruins tied their first-round playoffs series against the Carolina Hurricanes 3-3 on Thursday night, dishing the new-age Whalers a 5-2 defeat in Game 6 at TD Garden.
With the victory, the best-of-seven series is headed for its conclusive game Saturday.
Check out the full box score here:
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The power play was a major key to the game for both sides Thursday, with Carolina going 0-for-4 on the man advantage, while Boston cashed in on one of its three opportunities.
Behind their raucous home crowd, the Bruins could best be described as relaxed on the penalty kill. Brandon Carlo, Derek Forbort and Hampus Lindholm all ended the night with multiple blocked shots, while Jeremy Swayman ended his night with 23 saves.
It’s no coincidence that Boston’s fortunes on the power play returned at home, as each game in the series has gone to the home team thus far. Boston has been outscored 15-4 on the road in the series, but has flipped the script in home games, outscoring Carolina 14-6.
The bad news for the B’s is they have just one more chance to turn around their misfortunes on the road.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Brad Marchand opened up the scoring for Boston, netting one just 46 seconds into the second period. He added an assist later and ended the night with two points.
— Charlie McAvoy had himself a night for the Bruins. Despite scoring just one point on an assist to Erik Haula, McAvoy affected the game defensively with a few great pass breakups, and by laying a brutal hit on Sebastian Aho.
— Swayman has seemingly locked down the starting goaltender role for Boston, going 3-1 in his four starts this postseason. It would be a shock if he didn’t get the start in the series-deciding game.
WAGER WATCH
Charlie Coyle scored his second goal of the postseason, winning those who placed a bet on him a pretty penny in the process. He entered the game with +135 odds to score a goal, so a $100 wager would have won bettors $135.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Bruins will play a do-or-die Game 7 on Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh N.C. You can watch full coverage on NESN, including an hour of pregame.
