3 Keys: Hurricanes vs. Bruins, Game 5 of Eastern First Round

Pastrnak game-time decision for Boston, which looks to eliminate Carolina

By Wes Crosby

NHL.com Independent Correspondent

August 18, 2020

No. 5 Hurricanes vs. No. 4 Bruins

4:20 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS, NESN, FS-CR

Boston leads best-of-7 series, 3-1

David Pastrnak will be a game-time decision for the Boston Bruins, who can eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday.

The forward, who has missed the past three games, will skate in warmups and then it will be determined if he can play.

"He's feelilng much better," coach Bruce Cassidy said Wednesday.

As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan, a team is not permitted to disclose player injury or illness information.

"The other day, we thought he had an outside chance," Cassidy said Tuesday after Pastrnak practiced with the Bruins. "Now I'd give it better than that. We'll have to make a decision in the morning.

"... If we feel he's 100 percent, no risk of further injury, he'll be in the lineup."

After surrendering a 2-0 third-period lead for a 4-3 loss in Game 4, the Hurricanes will try to avoid being eliminated by the Bruins for a second straight season. They were outscored 17-5 by Boston in a four-game sweep in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final.

Teams that have a 3-1 lead are 280-29 (90.6 percent) winning a best-of-7 NHL series, including 2-0 this season.

Carolina will play its second straight game without forward Andrei Svechnikov, who was injured late in Game 3 in Toronto, the Eastern hub city.

Here are 3 keys for Game 5:

1. Carolina's response

Hurricanes forward Justin Williams said the third period of Game 4 might have been the ugliest he had ever seen Carolina play. The Hurricanes were outscored 4-1 and outshot 16-2.

Coach Rod Brind'Amour said there were a lot of reasons to explain how the Hurricanes could be so heavily outshot, and that he expects a better effort Wednesday.

"Turn the page," Brind'Amour said. "Try to really just enthuse a little joy. Have some fun."

2. Marchand staying hot

After not scoring a point in three round-robin games during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Bruins forward Brad Marchand has scored seven points (three goals, four assists) in this series. He's scored in three straight games, including the goal that gave Boston a 3-2 lead at 11:40 of the third period Monday.

Most of that has come without linemate Pastrnak. Anders Bjork started Game 4 at first-line right wing, Pastrnak's usual spot, before Charlie Coyle was moved there.

Swapping Coyle and Bjork is an example of Cassidy tapping into the pulse of the Bruins, Marchand said.

"I think he understands when guys are feeling it," Marchand said. "You see the guys create energy and start to feed off one another. He understands that."

3. Decisions in net

Hurricanes goalies Petr Mrazek and James Reimer have split the first four games. Mrazek started Games 1 and 3; Reimer started Games 2 and 4. Carolina has not announced a starter for Game 5.

Halak is expected to start a third straight game for Boston since Tuukka Rask opted out of the playoffs Saturday.

If the Bruins lose, it would set up an interesting scenario with Game 6 on Thursday. Either Boston would start Halak for the third time in four days, or Dan Vladar or Maxime Lagace would make his NHL postseason debut hoping to help to avoid Game 7.