BOSTON — It was with 1:38 remaining in the second period when fans began chanting, “We want the Cup.”
It was only Game 2. And it was only the Eastern Conference final. But yeah, the Boston Bruins can smell it.
The Stanley Cup is within their grasp.
After Sunday night’s 6-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Bruins are just two more wins away from reaching the final for the first time since 2013, and just more six wins away from winning its second championship in nine years. Based on the way that they’re playing right now, achieving both seems a foregone conclusion.
Boston had come back to win Game 1 on a pair of power play goals in the third period. But Sunday night’s lopsided win was less dramatic and more complete. The Bruins played like a team that finished the season with the second-most points in East.
They are getting production from their stars. But more importantly, they are getting significant contributions from their depth players.
Third-pairing defenceman Matt Grzelcyk scored twice in Game 2 — he had three goals all season — while his partner, rookie Connor Clifton, scored for the first time in his career. The Bruins also received goals from Jake DeBrusk, David Backes and Danton Heinen, as well as another all-world effort from goaltender Tuukka Rask.
Add it up and it’s not a surprise that the Bruins, who are the highest-seeded team remaining in a playoffs full of upsets, are now heavily favoured to win the Cup.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, looked like a team whose fairy-tale season is coming to an end. It certainly looks that way for goaltender Petr Mrazek, who after allowing four goals in Game 1 had his worst start of the playoffs.
Then again, it’s worth noting that the Hurricanes have been in this position before. More than once.
In the first round, Carolina also lost Games 1 and 2 against the Washington Capitals, before tying up the series with back-to-back wins at home. And in that same series, the Hurricanes lost 6-0 to the Capitals in Game 5. But they also came back to win Game 6.
So don’t count them out just yet. But if the Hurricanes hope to continue that trend, they will have to figure out a way to put some pucks past Rask — and at the same time, keep the pucks out of their own net.
Mrazek, who gave up four goals in Game 1, hasn’t looked like the same goalie since going down with a groin injury in the second round. He’s overplaying the puck and giving up too many rebounds. Boston’s first goal dribbled through his body, while he was wildly out of position on a couple of other goals.
It could be time for Carolina to turn to Curtis McElhinney, who gave up four goals in three games while Mrazek was battling a groin injury in the second round, to take over the net. It could also be time for head coach Rod Brind’Amour to talk to his players again about being more disciplined.
Boston’s No. 1-ranked power play, which was a main reason why the Bruins won Game 1, scored two goals in Game 2. One of the penalties was totally unnecessary, with Justin Williams getting called for retaliating against Brad Marchand for a hook that the referees missed.
As Williams skated to the penalty box, Marchand used his hand to make a “C” shape. It was his way of saying that as the Hurricanes captain, Williams should know better.
In that way, the Bruins’ experience is shining through. They’ve been here before. They know what it takes to win.
After losing Game 1, you knew Carolina would come out hard and heavy to begin Game 2. And they did, with Micheal Ferland drilling Charlie Coyle and Grzelcyk with big hits and Justin Faulk catching Sean Kuraly with a huge open-ice check. For the Bruins, it was a matter of withstanding the early surge.
With five minutes remaining in the first period, Boston finally pushed back as Marcus Johansson found Grzelcyk at the side of the net for a shot that snuck past Mrazek. It was a goal gave the Bruins life.
Three minutes later, Williams took a tripping penalty at the end of a long shift. Once again, the Bruins power play made them pay, this time with DeBrusk jamming in a rebound.
The Bruins scored twice more in the second period on goals from Clifton and Grzelcyk, and then put the game out of reach with goals from Backes and Heinen in the third that made it 6-0. Though Carolina scored twice at the end of the period, this one was over by then.
The same might be said of the series.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
