Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins: Top 3 takeaways from Game 2

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 3-2 win in Game 2 to even up their series with the Boston Bruins.

Heading into Game 2, the Carolina Hurricanes knew it was a must-win game for them, as the Boston Bruins already had a 1-0 lead in their Stanley Cup Playoffs series. With David Pastrnak out, the Hurricanes needed to win Game 2. And that’s precisely what they did, as they tied up their series with the Bruins with a 3-2 win.

Dougie Hamilton got the game-winning goal in the third period against his former club. The Hurricanes also got goals from Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. On the other side of the ice, the Bruins scored both of their goals on the power play. The first one came from David Krejci while the second one came courtesy of Brad Marchand.

A lot happened in Game 2, so let’s take a look at the top three takeaways from the game.

1. Goalie Controversy In Carolina?

With Game 2 coming just a day after Game 1, the Hurricanes decided to start James Reimer in goal. While Reimer’s the backup goalie, he has posted stronger numbers this season than Petr Mrazek. Mrazek posted a .905% save percentage while Reimer posted a .914% save percentage.

This has also been true during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the first round against the New York Rangers, Reimer got the nod in Game 3 and, aside from a goal from Chris Kreider, had a perfect game. This isn’t to say Mrazek hasn’t been great, because he has. He’s posted a .922% save percentage. However, Reimer’s clearly been better, posting a .959% save percentage in his two appearances.

I think the Hurricanes have to go back to Reimer in Game 3. Mrazek struggled a bit in Game 1 and the Hurricanes are lucky enough to have two pretty good goalies. Riding the hot hand is the best strategy when you have a tandem. Reimer’s earned another chance in net, so why not give it to him in Game 3?