Carolina Hurricanes (38-25-5, fourth in the Metropolitan Division during the regular season) vs. Boston Bruins (44-14-12, first in the Atlantic Division during the regular season)
Toronto; Wednesday, 4 p.m. EDT
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Boston leads series 3-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins look to clinch the Eastern Conference first round over the Carolina Hurricanes in game five. The teams meet Wednesday for the sixth time this season. The Bruins won the previous meeting 4-3. Jake DeBrusk scored a team-high two goals for the Bruins in the victory.
The Bruins are 26-9-9 against conference opponents. Boston averages 9.7 penalty minutes per game, the sixth-most in the NHL. Brad Marchand leads the team serving 82 total minutes.
The Hurricanes are 20-17-2 in Eastern Conference play. Carolina is seventh in the league averaging 5.6 assists per game, led by Teuvo Teravainen with 0.7.
TOP PERFORMERS: David Pastrnak has 95 total points for the Bruins, 48 goals and 47 assists. Marchand has three goals and seven assists over the last 10 games for Boston.
Teravainen leads the Hurricanes with 48 total assists and has 63 points. Sebastian Aho has five goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games for Carolina.
DURING THE PLAYOFFS: Bruins: Averaging 2.4 goals, 4.3 assists, 4.0 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game with a .901 save percentage.
Hurricanes: Averaging 3.0 goals, 4.3 assists, 4.9 penalties and 10.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game with a .928 save percentage.
INJURIES: Bruins: David Pastrnak: out (unfit to participate).
Hurricanes: Joel Edmundson: out (undisclosed), Andrei Svechnikov: out (lower body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by , and data from ,.
