The Carolina Hurricanes will need to be quick problem-solvers.
And against the Boston Bruins, there are a number to solve.
To win Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals today at the TD Banknorth Garden and tie the series 1-1, the Canes must:
* Cut back on the loose, sloppy play and turnovers that were so costly Friday in the 4-1 loss to the Bruins in the opener.
* Find line combinations that click.
* Make Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas work a lot more.
* Match the Bruins? physical play.
* Draw more penalties to set up power-play chances.
And that?s just the short list. The Bruins, the top seed in the East, present a host of challenges for any team, the reason they?ve won all five postseason games.
?We know the game we need to play to be successful,? the Canes? Eric Staal said Saturday. ?We didn?t get to that game in Game 1.?
For a team that knows how to throw its collective weight around, the bruising Bruins aren?t taking many penalties. They allowed just eight power plays in a four-game sweep of the Montreal Canadiens in their first-round series ? the Habs were 0-for-8 ? and allowed the Canes just one power play in Game 1, late in the third period.
?It?s important to play a physical game but it?s also important to stay out of the penalty box, and we?ve done a good job so far,? Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ?Every game, we make it a challenge to be a very disciplined team.?
Thomas, who had 26 saves in the opener, said the Bruins are not ?even giving the refs excuses to call penalties.?
?We?re battling hard, but it?s totally clean,? he said. ?The way we?ve done it over the past five games, I don?t know that I?ve ever seen a team play exactly like that. It?s great.?
Staal said there is a way to change that and force the Bruins into penalties in Game 2.
?We need to create some havoc down on their end of the ice, get our feet moving and move the puck,? he said. ?Eventually they?ll have to hold us or hook, and we?ll get some power plays.
?I don?t think we got to our game as a line and as team for sure. We had a few chances but we didn?t create enough down in the offensive zone to generate enough offense or draw some power plays. I don?t think we had enough sustained pressure.?
But it?s tough sustaining pressure when a team is constantly turning over the puck, a game-long malady for the Hurricanes.
?The mind-set of a team when it?s comfortable in what it?s doing, it doesn?t make plays that are high-risk or low-reward plays,? Canes coach Paul Maurice said. ?We made a number of those [Friday] night, and partly because the Boston Bruins do a fine job defensively and don?t give you a whole lot. But we?d like to see our team make better decisions with the puck.?
Still, the loss was more than just about turnovers, forward Ryan Bayda said.
?I just don?t think we got into our game,? he said. ?Maybe a little passive all over the ice and that kind of contributed to a bunch of things that when when we?re playing our game we don?t make the mistakes we were making.?
The Canes? lone goal came from their fourth line. Bayda set up Jussi Jokinen with a nice pass and Jokinen banged in the shot ? his fourth score of the 2009 playoffs ? late in the first period for a 1-1 tie.
But even Carolina?s best offensive moment had a downside ? Bayda?s momentum caused him to stumble over Thomas, who was outside the crease, and pick up a goaltender interference penalty.
?It was just one of those games for us,? Bayda said. ?We?re just happy it?s over with and we can put it behind us.?
The Canes bounced back from a Game 1 loss to the New Jersey Devils to win Game 2 at the Prudential Center, the Devils? home arena, on Tim Gleason?s overtime goal. They won again at The Rock ? in Game 7 to win the series.
?Hopefully we can split it here in Boston and take it back home,? Staal said.
The Hurricanes realize the enormity of falling behind the Bruins 0-2 in this series.
?It?s a really big game for us,? Bayda said. ?We need to come out with a little more urgency and be a little sharper and tighten up the areas we made mistakes in.?
And be good problem-solvers.
And against the Boston Bruins, there are a number to solve.
To win Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals today at the TD Banknorth Garden and tie the series 1-1, the Canes must:
* Cut back on the loose, sloppy play and turnovers that were so costly Friday in the 4-1 loss to the Bruins in the opener.
* Find line combinations that click.
* Make Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas work a lot more.
* Match the Bruins? physical play.
* Draw more penalties to set up power-play chances.
And that?s just the short list. The Bruins, the top seed in the East, present a host of challenges for any team, the reason they?ve won all five postseason games.
?We know the game we need to play to be successful,? the Canes? Eric Staal said Saturday. ?We didn?t get to that game in Game 1.?
For a team that knows how to throw its collective weight around, the bruising Bruins aren?t taking many penalties. They allowed just eight power plays in a four-game sweep of the Montreal Canadiens in their first-round series ? the Habs were 0-for-8 ? and allowed the Canes just one power play in Game 1, late in the third period.
?It?s important to play a physical game but it?s also important to stay out of the penalty box, and we?ve done a good job so far,? Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ?Every game, we make it a challenge to be a very disciplined team.?
Thomas, who had 26 saves in the opener, said the Bruins are not ?even giving the refs excuses to call penalties.?
?We?re battling hard, but it?s totally clean,? he said. ?The way we?ve done it over the past five games, I don?t know that I?ve ever seen a team play exactly like that. It?s great.?
Staal said there is a way to change that and force the Bruins into penalties in Game 2.
?We need to create some havoc down on their end of the ice, get our feet moving and move the puck,? he said. ?Eventually they?ll have to hold us or hook, and we?ll get some power plays.
?I don?t think we got to our game as a line and as team for sure. We had a few chances but we didn?t create enough down in the offensive zone to generate enough offense or draw some power plays. I don?t think we had enough sustained pressure.?
But it?s tough sustaining pressure when a team is constantly turning over the puck, a game-long malady for the Hurricanes.
?The mind-set of a team when it?s comfortable in what it?s doing, it doesn?t make plays that are high-risk or low-reward plays,? Canes coach Paul Maurice said. ?We made a number of those [Friday] night, and partly because the Boston Bruins do a fine job defensively and don?t give you a whole lot. But we?d like to see our team make better decisions with the puck.?
Still, the loss was more than just about turnovers, forward Ryan Bayda said.
?I just don?t think we got into our game,? he said. ?Maybe a little passive all over the ice and that kind of contributed to a bunch of things that when when we?re playing our game we don?t make the mistakes we were making.?
The Canes? lone goal came from their fourth line. Bayda set up Jussi Jokinen with a nice pass and Jokinen banged in the shot ? his fourth score of the 2009 playoffs ? late in the first period for a 1-1 tie.
But even Carolina?s best offensive moment had a downside ? Bayda?s momentum caused him to stumble over Thomas, who was outside the crease, and pick up a goaltender interference penalty.
?It was just one of those games for us,? Bayda said. ?We?re just happy it?s over with and we can put it behind us.?
The Canes bounced back from a Game 1 loss to the New Jersey Devils to win Game 2 at the Prudential Center, the Devils? home arena, on Tim Gleason?s overtime goal. They won again at The Rock ? in Game 7 to win the series.
?Hopefully we can split it here in Boston and take it back home,? Staal said.
The Hurricanes realize the enormity of falling behind the Bruins 0-2 in this series.
?It?s a really big game for us,? Bayda said. ?We need to come out with a little more urgency and be a little sharper and tighten up the areas we made mistakes in.?
And be good problem-solvers.
