Bruins’ first-round opponent for 2022 playoffs is finally set
The Bruins will make their way down to Raleigh for the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Oct 28, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) tries to move the puck past Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) during the third period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
The Bruins will begin the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Raleigh, as Friday's loss to the Maple Leafs has locked the Bruins into the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and into a first-round showdown with the Hurricanes.
Boston's date with the Hurricanes was finalized by way of a 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, which featured the Bruins resting a staggering eight lineup regulars, which was always Bruce Cassidy's plan entering Game 82.
This will be the third time in the last four years that the Bruins and Hurricanes have met in the postseason, with the Bruins sweeping the Canes in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals and defeating them in five games in the first round inside the Toronto bubble back in 2020.
But the Hurricanes have certainly done their part to prove that this isn't 2019 or 2020. In action for three head-to-head affairs this season, the Hurricanes dominated the Bruins for three wins and a staggering 16-to-1 goal differential.
The last meeting between the sides came back on Feb. 10, which was over a month before the Bruins made their move to add Hampus Lindholm from the Ducks. Lindholm has been a revelation for the Bruins since his arrival, too, and the B's are a perfect 6-0-0 when Lindholm, David Pastrnak, and Linus Ullmark are all in action at the same time.
The series is expected to begin Monday night, and with Games 3 and 4 in Boston slated to take place next Friday and Sunday.
