Boston Bruins To Stanley Cup Final After Sweeping Hurricanes

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final. Boston completed the Eastern Conference Finals sweep against the Hurricanes, winning, 4-0, in Carolina Thursday night. The Bruins punched their ticket to their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in the last nine years.

The Stanley Cup Final schedule has not been released yet as the Western Conference champion is yet to be decided. The San Jose Sharks lead the St. Louis Blue, 2-1, in that series. Game 4 is Friday night. If the Sharks win the series, the Bruins will face off against old friend Joe Thornton. Thornton spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career in Boston before getting traded to San Jose in 2005.

The Bruins lost the last time they reached the Stanley Cup Final, falling to Chicago in 2013. They last won the Cup in 2011, beating Vancouver thanks in large part to a white-hot playoff stretch from goalie Tim Thomas.

This year's Bruins team has followed a similar formula in the playoffs. Goalie Tuukka Rask is playing at a career-best level, at times stealing games for Boston. Stalwarts Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara are leading the charge on both ends of the ice. Thursday night in many ways, was no different.

Rask pitched a shutout, stopping all 24 shots that came his way, most of which came in the first period. Boston's defense, led by Charlie McAvoy, held their ground the rest of the way hardly letting Carolina anywhere near Rask's net.

The Bruins first line took care of the offense with two goals and an assist from Bergeron, David Pastrnak with a goal and two assists, and Marchand adding a goal and an assist as well.

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