The Bruins snuff the Hurricanes

Twenty-eighth place burns past tenth in Boston

Form means nothing here

The Boston Bruins finished 28th of 32 last season. The Carolina Hurricanes finished 10th. In the Gauntlet, none of that buys a thing. Both had survived qualification night, Carolina by beating the Flyers and Boston by beating the Sabres. Only one flame would leave TD Garden still lit.

For the Hurricanes, the stakes ran deeper. In each of the past two seasons, their candle had gone dark on qualification night. This time they had burned into the Round of 16, and a loss would turn them cold again.

Two goals, one burst

Two periods passed without a goal. Nikita Zadorov sat for holding in the first and Seth Jarvis for holding in the second, and neither power play changed the score. Then the third period opened up. Casey Mittelstadt fired a wrist shot in at 1:27, set up by Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha. Just 3:38 later, Viktor Arvidsson wristed home the winner, with Mittelstadt and McAvoy assisting again.

Swayman holds the torch

Carolina outshot Boston 29 to 22, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 of those shots. The only one to beat him came at 17:11. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin hit a slap shot, assisted by Mark Jankowski and Jordan Martinook, while Carolina's goalie was off only because a penalty on Boston was being signalled. Frederik Andersen made 20 saves at the other end, but the Bruins held on. The Hurricanes were doused, and only nine flames still burn.