Brad Marchand pounced on a breakaway to lift the monkey off his back a mere 2:12 into Thursday’s contest in Raleigh.
The Boston Bruins then sewed further doubt into a rusty Carolina Hurricanes bunch and never looked back.
By the midway point of the opening frame, the Bruins extended their lead to three after David Pastrnak and Danton Heinen netted their 47th and 16th goals of the season, respectively, along the net front. But they still needed to limit some damage during a second-period hiccup.
Boston’s struggling power play failed to convert on a four-minute opportunity during the middle frame.