After the Bruins battled back from an 0-2 hole with a pair of third-period strikes from Brad Marchand, an ill-timed activation from Hampus Lindholm with two and a half minutes left in regulation proved to be the break the Hurricanes needed to escape TD Garden with a 3-2 victory.

Lindholm’s pinch, which came just moments after a David Pastrnak shot failed to find the back of the net, helped give the Hurricanes numbers the other way, and ultimately led to a breakaway marker from Jordan Martinook, which held as the game-winning tally by the night’s end.

• With the loss to the Hurricanes (and in what was their first head-to-head of the 2023-24 season), the B’s saw their win streak snapped at five games, while their nine-game point streak (6-0-3) also came to end.

  Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) 3 Stars from a streak-snapping loss to the Canes…

• No. 3 Star: Martin Necas

  

  Jan 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) celebrates his goal with defenseman Brady Skjei (76) and center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) during the first period against the Boston Bruins. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)

• Not only did Martin Necas draw the penalty that gave Carolina their first power-play opportunity of the evening (and against B’s penalty-killing pillar Brandon Carlo), but Necas also scored on that power play.

  Martin Necas puts Carolina up 1-0 with 1:56 remaining in the first period. pic.twitter.com/OHogMaj1qA

  — Belle Fraser (@bellefraser1) January 25, 2024

  Deployed for 18:58 of time on ice, Necas finished the night with a game-high nine shots on goal, and the Hurricanes held a 17-7 on-ice edge in shots during his almost 16 minutes of five-on-five play. For some added context there, the Hurricanes were outshot 14-11 with Necas on the bench.

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• No. 2 Star: Brad Marchand

  

  Jan 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) has words for the refereee after being called for a penalty during the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)

• Down by two through 40 minutes of play, the Bruins willed themselves back into this game on the back of captain Brad Marchand, who scored twice within a 5:50 span to knot this contest up at 2-2.

  Brad Marchand with his second goal of the period.
  
  A nice rush sequence from this new 63-13-11 line.
  
  2-2 game. pic.twitter.com/si57yiFUdA

  — Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 25, 2024

  Marchand also led the team in individual scoring chances (five) and individual high-danger scoring chances (three), according to the data tracked by Natural Stat Trick.

• No. 1 Star: Spencer Martin

  

  Jan 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin (41) looks over at the bench during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)

• When training camps opened around the NHL way back in September, and even when the season began for that matter, goaltender Spencer Martin had to be somewhere near the absolute bottom on the list of concerns for the 2023-24 Bruins. Martin, a Canuck until late September, was a waiver claim by the Blue Jackets.

  In Columbus, Martin proved to be a thorn in the Bruins’ side in his first head-to-head with Boston, with a 31-of-33 effort in a November victory over the B’s. And Martin did his best to provide a strong sequel (and basically did for 40 minutes) when the sides had a rematch in Boston with a 25-of-28 performance on Dec. 3.

  Martin’s luck against Boston seemingly ran out when the Bruins hit him up for four goals in a Jan. 2 head-to-head between the B’s and Jackets, and then another move to the waiver wire, and another claim in on Martin, this time by way of the Hurricanes. And, of course, the Hurricanes decided to have Martin make his debut against Boston, where he once again proved to be an absolutely maddening presence for the Black and Gold.

  Hit with 28 shots from Boston shooters (including a B’s-high five from Pastrnak), Martin turned aside all but two, and was credited with 12 high-danger saves by the end of play.

  And though he’s not quite at ‘Prime Braden Holtby’ levels of tormenting the Bruins, Martin has been strangely good against the Bruins compared to the rest of the NHL this season.

  In four showdowns against the Bruins between his Columbus and Carolina runs this year, Martin is now 2-2-0, and has posted a .905 save percentage with 105 saves on 116 shots faced. Against the rest of the NHL, however, Martin has posted a 2-6-1 record and an .883 save percentage.

  Make it make sense!

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