‘There’s a lot riding on it, obviously’; Bruins, Hurricanes down to final, winner-take-all Game 7

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The home team in the Carolina Hurricanes-Boston Bruins’ series continues to hold serve. Boston’s 5-2 win on Thursday night at TD Garden forced a winner-take-all game seven, Saturday afternoon in Raleigh.

“Anything can happen tomorrow (Saturday),” Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta said. “Obviously, it’s nice to get this game seven at home, but it’s still going to be anybody’s game. I think we’ve just got to get ourselves ready to play right away and play like we want to play.”

The Hurricanes can make history with a win on Saturday.

A victory over the Bruins would be the franchise’s sixth straight game seven win matching the Rangers (2012-2015), Bruins (1983-1994 and the Red Wings (1949-1994) as the only other teams to achieve that feat.

PNC Arena has been the ultimate home-ice advantage for the Carolina so far in the playoffs.

“Saturday night in Raleighwood,” joked Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov. “But yeah, it gives you lots of confidence, you know, the building is going to be buzzing and the fans will be excited. When we go out there we hear the fans and it just gets you going, it’s fun.”

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour hopes so, although he has been on both sides of the hockey stick when it comes to home ice.

“I think it’s big, but I’ve also been on the other end of it, too,” Brind’Amour said. “The crowd is what it is, it can be (an advantage) if you get some good shifts going or score a goal, so obviously we want to take advantage of that.”

Two key players for the Hurricanes, Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis, will play in their first-ever game seven pressure cooker. Could the moment be too big for them?

“Not really, I think they’re the best one’s because they don’t know any difference,” Brind’Amour said. “I think the older you get, the more anxious you get about it because the reality of it sinks in and how you’re this close, but you’re this far away.”

Brind’Amour finished with, “There’s a lot riding on it, obviously.”