Projected lines, roster updates and starting goaltenders for Bruins-Canes Game 5
The Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes are getting set for game five of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal playoff series.
The Hurricanes took Game one and two of the series back in Raleigh, thanks to convincing 5-1 and 5-2 wins. While the Bruins took games three and four back at TD Garden in Boston by a 4-2 and 5-2 scores. The best-of-seven now switches to a best-of-three, with Boston clawing themselves back into it.
The Bruins got great news that Charlie McAvoy has been cleared to play right before puck drop this evening, so he will be back in the lineup. Although Lindholm did skate yesterday, he did not travel with the team, and this was reported during the Bruins' morning skate in Raleigh:
Bruce Cassidy will be going with the same lineup as game four (plus McAvoy) and one minor switch on the forward lines:
Marchand � Bergeron � Pastrnak
Hall � Haula � Smith
DeBrusk � Coyle � Nosek
Foligno � Lazar � Wagner
Reilly � McAvoy
Grzelcyk � Carlo
Forbort � Clifton
Swayman
Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman will obviously start his third straight game after claiming two consecutive victories over the Hurricanes and stopping 49 of the 53 shots he faced. The one little switch-up looks to be Jake Debrusk moving down to the third line and Craig Smith moving up to the second. Cassidy has stated that he likes the chemistry between Debrusk and Charlie Coyle, and Smith, who is minus three with zero points in the postseason so far, needs a spark to get going.
It appears that Antti Raanta will start again in game five for the Carolina Hurricanes after missing game three and taking the loss in game four. It's reported that Hurricanes' head coach Rod Brind'Amour will be going with the same lineup as game four as well.
So expect the Hurricanes' lines to look as such:
Svechnikov - Aho - Jarvis
Domi - Trocheck - Teravainen
Niederreiter - Staal - Fast
Stepan - Kotkaniemi - Necas
Slavin - DeAngelo
Skjei - Pesce
Smith - Cole
Raanta
Kochetkov
I believe this is the biggest game of the series (barring a game seven), but the winner of game five will be the winner of this series. If the Bruins bring the same game they had on home ice and figure out how to win at PNC Arena in Raleigh, they're stealing this series from the Hurricanes.
