3 Keys: Hurricanes at Bruins, Game 3 of Eastern First Round

(1M) Hurricanes at (WC1) Bruins
7 p.m. ET; TNT, SN360, TVAS2, BSSO, NESN
Carolina leads best-of-7 series 2-0

The Carolina Hurricanes will look to take a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins in Game 3 at TD Garden on Friday.
Carolina has won each of the first two games, 5-1 in Game 1 on Monday and 5-2 in Game 2 on Wednesday, playing at home at PNC Arena.
The Hurricanes have won all five regular-season and playoff games against the Bruins this season, outscoring them 26-4. Carolina defeated Boston 3-0 on Oct. 28, 7-1 on Jan. 18, and 6-0 on Feb. 10.
"It's going to be a good game," Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei said. "It's going to be heated. I'm sure it'll be physical like every playoff game. I think we've done a good job of answering the bell physicality-wise. It's been a good series, been really fun to play in and we want to keep that going."
Carolina has taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 series for the second straight year in the playoffs and six times (5-1) in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history. The Bruins are 2-26 (.071) when down 2-0 in a best-of-7 series.
"There's a lot of different guys in that room that haven't scored," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "They're going to have to find their ... whatever the situation dictates. It's skill sometimes, it's will, it's urgency around the front of the net."
Teams that take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-7 series are 196-4 (.980), including a 4-0 mark in the 2021 playoffs.
Here are 3 keys for Game 2:

1. Rookie goalie time

Two rookie goalies each will make their first Stanley Cup Playoffs start in Game 3.
Pyotr Kochetkov will start for the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old made 30 saves after replacing Antti Raanta during the first period of Game 2, when Raanta had to leave because of an upper-body injury sustained after a collision with Bruins forward David Pastrnak. Kochetkov made his NHL debut April 23 and was 3-0-0 with a 2.42 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in three regular-season games.
Jeremy Swayman will start in place of Linus Ullmark after he allowed eight goals on 57 shots in the first two games. Swayman has one game of NHL playoff experience, in relief of Tuukka Rask against the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Second Round last season. He was 23-14-3 with a 2.41 GAA, .914 save percentage and three shutouts in 41 regular-season games.
"As a player you don't even worry about who's in your net," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "You've got a job to do, whoever it is."

2. Putting on the gas

The Hurricanes have manhandled the Bruins in the first two games of the series, but the Bruins have had one advantage, at the start.
The Bruins came out firing in Game 1, outshooting the Hurricanes 14-10, and again in Game 2, when they had two power plays in the first 7:28. But they weren't able to capitalize either time.
The Hurricanes believe they need to have better starts, especially now that they're on the road for Game 3.
"I think the biggest thing for us is coming out on time," Carolina forward Nino Niederreiter said. "I feel like Boston did a great job coming out right out of the gate and we kind of weathered the storm the first two games and found the game after that. But I think that's going to be crucial tonight, to come out on the right foot."

3. Upping the offense

The Bruins struggled most with their inability to generate Grade A offensive chances, even against the No. 2 and No. 3 goalies for the Hurricanes. They need to find their way offensively in order to turn the series around.
"We still have to find ways to create," Cassidy said after Game 2. "Some of it will be on our skilled guys to use their speed and ability to create something for themselves. The other lines have to be a little more direct, win a race, and get it into the dirty area and score some of those muckers goals. We need a little bit more at both ends of the lineup, the top guys and the bottom guys."
To that end, Cassidy has opted to reunite Pastrnak on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Cassidy had split them in January, but will go back to that unit for the start, at least, of Game 3.
"I think it's the perfect time," Pastrnak said of the reunion.

Hurricanes projected lineup

Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis
Max Domi -- Vincent Trocheck -- Teuvo Teravainen
Nino Niederreiter -- Jordan Staal -- Jesper Fast
Jordan Martinook -- Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Martin Necas
Jaccob Slavin -- Tony DeAngelo
Brady Skjei -- Brett Pesce
Brendan Smith -- Ian Cole
Pyotr Kochetkov
Antti Raanta
Scratched:Ethan Bear, Steven Lorentz, Derek Stepan
Injured:Frederik Andersen (lower body)

Bruins projected lineup

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall -- Erik Haula -- Jake DeBrusk
Tomas Nosek -- Charlie Coyle -- Craig Smith
Nick Foligno -- Curtis Lazar -- Chris Wagner
Mike Reilly -- Charlie McAvoy
Matt Grzelcyk -- Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort -- Connor Clifton
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Scratched:Anton Blidh, Trent Frederic, Josh Brown
Injured:Hampus Lindholm (undisclosed)

Status report

Raanta skated Friday. Brind'Amour said the goalie is healthy enough to back up Kochetkov and "could have probably played," but they will give him another day to recover. … Lindholm will not play after the defenseman left Game 2 during the second period after a hit from Svechnikov. Reilly, who had been scratched for Games 1 and 2, will replace him. … Wagner, who had been scratched the first two games of the series, will replace Frederic, a forward.