Hurricanes claim testy win, lead 2-0

EASTERN CONFERENCE HURRICANES 5, BRUINS 2

RALEIGH, N.C. — Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter each scored twice and the Carolina Hurricanes overcame the early loss of goalie Antti Raanta to beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Wednesday night for a 2- 0 lead in the first-round series.

Jesper Fast had the game’s first goal for Carolina in another strong offensive showing to start this series. Rookie goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov came on in relief of Raanta to finish with 29 saves.

Game 3 is Friday night in Boston.

The Hurricanes also played with a physical edge against a Boston team that has knocked them out of the playoffs twice in three postseasons. And it came in a game that quickly went from competitive to feisty and downright ornery in quick fashion — namely after Boston’s David Pastrnak knocked Raanta from the game midway through the first period when he struck the goaltender in the head with a gloved hand as he tried to skate past him.

Already down injured No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen to start the playoffs, Carolina turned to Kochetkov as Raanta exited while bleeding from an apparent mouth injury.

Patrice Bergeron scored both of Boston’s goals, the first on a loose rebound in the second and then another on a redirection near the crease in the third. Linus Ullmark surrendered four goals for the second consecutive game and finished with 29 saves.

After Raanta’s exit, the teams constantly traded words and hits, along with repeatedly tussling after the whistle. There was the jarring shoulder- to- chest blast by Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov that leveled Hampus Lindholm and left him wobbly as he was helped to the locker room late in the second.

Niederreiter’s second goal was an empty-netter in the final minute. Moments later, the game fittingly ended with the teams needing to be separated once more after the final horn.

LIGHTNING 5, MAPLE LEAFS 3

TORONTO — Victor Hedman had a goal and three assists for his first fourpoint playoff game and Tampa Bay beat Toronto in Game 2 to even the firstround series.

Nikita Kucherov added a goal and two assists and Brayden Point, Corey Perry and Brandon Hagel also scored for twotime defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves in a bounce-back performance after the Lightning dropped the opener 5-0.

Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for Toronto, Michael Bunting and Alexander Kerfoot also scored and Jack Campbell made 29 saves. Auston Matthews had two assists.

WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD 6, BLUES 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Kirill Kaprizov had a hat trick and Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice for Minnesota, which snapped back at St. Louis to even their firstround playoff series at one game apiece.

Frederic Gaudreau and Kaprizov scored on the power play for the Wild, who went 0 for 6 with the man advantage in their 4-0 defeat in Game 1 and were 1 for 9 against the Blues over three regular-season losses. The Wild beat their Central Division rival in regulation for only the third time in 16 games since the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who host Game 3 in St. Louis on Friday night.