The Boston Bruins are coming off a tough loss against the Philadelphia Flyers, where goalie Samuel Ersson pitched a shutout to defeat the Bruins 2-0. This left head coach Jim Montgomery scratching his head in what has been an offensive quest. The task will only increase, as his next opponent is a fierce competitor.

The Bruins head south to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. In what they call the loudest house in hockey, it has been a place that is not very kind to the Bruins. Since sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals during the 2018-19 season, the Bruins have won just two games in Carolina. Given their recent performance, weathering the hurricane storm will not be an easy task.

Weathering the offensive storm

Defensively, the Bruins have been better lately. The last game they faced the Flyers, who at times increased the intensity and really picked up the pace. In this game, they will need to be defensively alert and constantly attentive. Hurricanes are much more dominant and come in waves.

The Hurricanes play with tremendous speed and are excellent at controlling the pace of the game. Under the head coach Rod Brind’AmourThe defense is extremely active and is a focal point of their offense. Whether cycling the disc or throwing it around and checking hard, they are designed to wear you out. Especially forechecking, where they have surpassed the Bruins in that regard.

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The Bruins defense will have to be sharp. They’ve seen teams feast on opportunities in the inside slot and near the front of the net. For the Hurricanes, this is an appetizing dish as they love to shoot from the blue line and wreak havoc in front of the goal crease. The Hurricanes are deep and have no shortage of players who can contribute. Their top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov has been the most impactful. Together, they have the third highest expected goals percentage. between qualified lines and averages 5.88 expected goals every 60 minutes. They have a little bit of everything on that line and if the Bruins aren’t at their best, the Hurricanes will make them pay.

The Hurricanes generate opportunities everywhere, generating a high volume of shots from the most dangerous areas of the ice. The Bruins will need to get bodies in the shooting lanes and find ways to clog up the middle of the ice to limit the Hurricanes’ success. While the Bruins need to weather the storm that is the Hurricanes’ offense, they need to figure out how to get through the defense.

Breaking the armor in defense

Something has to give at some point, right? The Bruins offense will figure it out, there is too much talent not to. They need their best players to be their best players and start shouldering the load. It is a big key to this game that David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand bring your best game of the season. The five-on-five offense has been poor to this point. Sometimes the Bruins get some good time in the offensive zone and apply pressure, but nothing comes of it. They have the fifth fewest number of shot attempts, the seventh fewest number of shots on goal and the fifth fewest number of high danger shot attempts. They lack quantity and quality in their shots and their opponent does not give much in open ice. Finding a chink in the armor that makes up the Hurricanes’ defense will not be an easy task.

The Hurricanes are the best defensive team in hockey. They play very well with an advantage and lock things down once they get it. It reminds me of a more modern “trap defense” that the New Jersey Devils used to use in the late 90s and early 2000s. Each player buys in and commits to the team’s defense and that’s what makes them so successful.

The Hurricanes lost important pieces in this free agency period that played a key role in their defensive structure. However, that has had little impact because their defense has picked up right where it left off. As it stands, they have given up the fewest shot attempts at five-on-five and the second-fewest shots on goal. Additionally, they have allowed the fewest goals during five-on-five play.

According to HockeyVizthe hurricanes do a tremendous job of suppressing the opposition. They’re one of those teams where if you get a good opportunity, you better take it because they don’t come around often. As a unit, they clog up the center of the ice and apply pressure along the perimeter. If you can generate a rebound, that will be the best opportunity you will have to try to score a goal. Even then, they allow the fourth-fewest high-danger shot attempts, so this is a brick wall for a defensive unit.

The Bruins will need their best effort when they face the Hurricanes. Results will have to come sooner rather than later and this strong defense presents a challenge for this team. Fortunately, the fact that Jeremy Swayman is in the network gives them a boost of confidence.

Swayman standing tall

Starting Joonas Korpisalo against the Flyers was a smart move by Montgomery. He hadn’t played in two weeks, so giving him the Flyers over the juggernaut that is the Hurricanes makes all the sense in the world. Swayman has been good for the Bruins to start the season, proving his worth in that new contract.

Swayman has a 2.97 goals-against average (GAA) and a .900 save percentage (SV%) entering the 2024-25 season. Not bad for a goalie who missed training camp and preseason games. It was one of the main reasons they got a point against the Utah Hockey Club while also keeping them in the game against the Nashville Predators. He has been the club’s best player and the most important so far this season. His GAA of 1.97 during five-on-five play stands out, which is good considering how strong the Hurricanes are offensively.

Given the volume of shots he will face, Swayman’s start is a nice boost of confidence for the Bruins lineup. Over his career, he has a 3-2 record with a GAA of 2.32 and a SV% of 0.917.

Difficult, but not impossible

Given the way things have gone for the Bruins, beating the Hurricanes will be a monumental task. It will be a difficult victory, but not impossible. The Hurricanes are a powerhouse when it comes to generating offense, but with Swayman in net, optimism is high. If they can find a chink in the defense’s armor and push forward, getting two points is not out of the question.