BOSTON — Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists as the Boston Bruins used a three-goal spurt during the second and third periods to separate in a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Friday night.
The Hurricanes still hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
After Carolina’s Vincent Trocheck opened the scoring 9:17 in, Boston went on a four-goal run thanks to Charlie Coyle, Marchand, David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. The middle two tallies came in the second period.
Coyle and Pastrnak compiled multiple-point nights by adding assists.
Both goaltenders made their Stanley Cup playoffs starting debut. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman was composed all night as he totaled 25 saves, holding especially steady during a frantic 20-second net-front sequence that featured several high-quality chances.
Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 24 shots and Jaccob Slavin also scored for Carolina.
Carolina scored first for the third consecutive game in the series as Trocheck buried his second goal of this year’s postseason into a vacated net. Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo’s turnover led to Brendan Smith’s initial shot.
Coyle’s short-handed goal with 2:44 left in the first tied the score. Jake DeBrusk sent a brilliant feed from the left side past a defender in the low slot and right to Coyle for an easy finish.
Boston took its first lead of the series 5:41 into the second period when Marchand controlled the carom of a blocked shot, cut through the middle and snapped a shot under Kochetkov’s blocker.
Carolina killed off the first penalty of a 91-second five-on-three, but Pastrnak upped the Bruins’ lead as he roofed a wrister from the left circle at 14:53 of the second.
At 4:08 of the third, Hall slammed in the home team’s second straight power-play goal off a feed to the net front from Patrice Bergeron.
Slavin brought the Hurricanes within 4-2 as his shot from the left point beat Swayman high with 8:30 left.
Carolina forward Jordan Martinook (lower body) didn’t return as he was injured on a fall after chasing down the Bruins’ Taylor Hall on a rush along the team benches in the second period.
–Joshua Kummins, Field Level Media