Hurricanes vs. Bruins: 3 things to know about First Round series

The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs began on Monday, May 2. Today, we preview the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. 

Game 1: May 2, 7 p.m. ET – Bruins at Hurricanes (ESPN, SN360, TVA Sports)Game 2: May 4, 7 p.m. ET – Bruins at Hurricanes (ESPN, SN360, TVA Sports)Game 3: May 6, 7 p.m. ET – Hurricanes at Bruins (TNT, SN360, TVA Sports)Game 4: May 8, 12:30 p.m. ET – Hurricanes at Bruins (ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports)*Game 5: May 10, TBD – Bruins at Hurricanes (TBD)*Game 6: May 12, TBD – Hurricanes at Bruins (TBD)*Game 7: May 14, TBD – Bruins at Hurricanes (TBD)

It is not that either team has bad goalies, there are just some questions here.

For Carolina it is a matter of health. Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta combined to win the Jennings Trophy this season for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL and were everything the Hurricanes could have hoped for and move as a goalie duo this season. But they have both had some injury issues late in the season, while Andersen (the superior goalie this season) will not be ready for the start of the series and will not be the team’s Game 1 starter. His return is still to be determined.

In Boston, Tuukka’ Rask’s retirement means Bruins fans will have to find a new scapegoat this season if the team does not win.

The duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark split the playing time 50-50 this season (minus four starts by Rask in the middle of the season) and gave the Bruins better than league average play at the position. But both are completely untested in the playoffs and it remains to be seen if they will be capable of backstopping the Bruins on a deep playoff run, or getting them through a tough matchup against a high powered Hurricanes offense.

While both teams have