The Carolina Hurricanes seemed to be primed for a big bounceback effort against the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Accompanying the return of Antti Raanta to the Carolina net was the absence of Boston’s top defenceman, Charlie McAvoy, who was scratched from the lineup just an hour before the start of game four due to being placed on the COVID-19 list.
On top of that, the B’s went without Hampus Lindholm, their significant trade deadline acquisition, again on the blue line.
As promising as much of the first half of the game was for the Hurricanes, the second half was exponentially more disheartening and wildly concerning.