Essential Information: Bruins Face Hurricanes Showdown
The Boston Bruins finish a four-game road trip Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. Puck drops at 7 p.m. as Boston looks to convert a single point from Sunday’s 2-1 overtime defeat in Philadelphia into two points in Raleigh.
Standings and context
Carolina has already clinched a playoff berth. The Hurricanes sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 104 points.
Boston holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins have 95 points and can gain ground with a win.
Recent meetings and form
The teams meet for the third and final time this regular season. Boston won 2-1 on Nov. 1 and dropped a 3-1 game on Nov. 17.
Carolina lost 6-3 to Ottawa on Sunday. Logan Stankoven, Andrei Svechnikov and Taylor Hall scored in that game.
Lineup decisions and preparation
Head coach Marco Sturm altered the pregame routine on Tuesday. The club skipped a morning skate and held meetings plus an outdoor workout to preserve energy.
Alex Steeves returns to the lineup for the first time since March 16. The 26-year-old forward is expected on the third line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, while Lukas Reichel sits out.
Player notes
Steeves has 16 points this season, with nine goals and seven assists in 41 games. He signed a two-year extension in January.
Mason Lohrei played his second game since returning from an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old logged 16:16 on Sunday and has 25 points in 69 games.
Top skaters
- David Pastrnak has five points in his last four games on Boston’s top line.
- Sebastian Aho leads Carolina with 78 points, tallying 26 goals and 52 assists in 77 games.
- Andrei Svechnikov has a team-best 11 power-play goals this season.
- Aho centers a top trio that includes Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. That line also forms Carolina’s first power-play unit.
Goaltending
Jeremy Swayman will start for Boston. He last played Saturday in Tampa Bay and made 20 saves.
Swayman owns a 2.70 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage through 52 appearances. He has 30 wins on the campaign.
Brandon Bussi is expected to start for Carolina. He left Boston’s organization after signing in March 2022 and arrived in Raleigh in October 2025.
Bussi has a 2.46 GAA and a .895 SV% in 36 games during his first NHL season.
Matchup implications
Carolina ranks fifth in the NHL on the power play at 24.7 percent. That efficiency will be a focal point for Boston’s penalty kill.
Special teams and goaltending will likely decide this tight matchup. The compact Lenovo Center environment favors heavy, physical play.
Filmogaz.com will follow the game and provide postgame analysis. Expect a hard-fought contest as both teams jockey for momentum down the stretch.
