He slipped behind Boston's coverage and extended Carolina's advantage to 2-0
In the unforgiving theater of a Game 7, it is often the unlikely figure who steps forward to rewrite a franchise's story. Max Domi, a mid-season arrival still finding his footing in Carolina, scored twice in his first playoff appearance to carry the Hurricanes past the Boston Bruins 3-2, ending a postseason rivalry that had twice broken in Boston's favor. The victory was improbable in its construction — two backup goaltenders, a roster shaped by injury, and a series governed by the rare law that home ice would decide every game — yet it landed with the weight of something long overdue.
- Carolina entered Game 7 without their starting goaltender and leaned on a rookie making his NHL playoff debut, making every moment feel like borrowed time.
- Boston, themselves cycling through a struggling Ullmark to untested rookie Swayman, could not find the stability needed to reclaim momentum on the road.
- Domi's two goals — the first two of his playoff life — arrived at precisely the moments Carolina needed steadying, turning individual opportunity into collective survival.
- The Bruins' historically poor record when trailing by two goals through forty minutes sealed their fate, even as Pastrnak's late strike made the final seconds uncomfortable.
- For only the ninth time in NHL history, the home team won every game in a series — a geographic rhythm that quietly decided the outcome long before Game 7 began.
- Carolina now moves forward having finally broken Boston's hold on them, carrying hard-won momentum into a second-round matchup against Pittsburgh or New York.
Max Domi had been a Hurricane for less than four months when Game 7 arrived — elimination stakes, first round, everything on the line. The mid-season acquisition scored twice, his first two playoff goals, as Carolina defeated Boston 3-2 to reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The series had been defined by fragility in net. Carolina lost starter Frederik Andersen to injury before the series began, then watched backup Antti Raanta exit after a collision in Game 2, forcing rookie Pyotr Kochetkov into his playoff debut. Boston made their own change, pulling Linus Ullmark after two shaky games and turning to rookie Jeremy Swayman. Neither goaltender had ever played in a Game 7.
Carolina struck late in the first period through Teuvo Teravainen, and Domi extended the lead before the period ended. Though Jake DeBrusk pulled one back early in the second, Domi scored again to make it 3-1. The Bruins carried a 1-13-0 record when trailing by multiple goals through two periods — a weight they could not escape, even as Pastrnak's goal with 20 seconds left tightened the final to 3-2.
Beneath the individual drama ran a stranger current: for only the ninth time in NHL history, the home team won every game in the series. Carolina had lost to Boston in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals and again in 2021 — but this time, finally, they sent the Bruins home. Domi, the newcomer, had announced himself at exactly the right moment.
Max Domi had been a Hurricane for less than four months when he found himself in the kind of moment that defines a playoff career. Game 7, first round, elimination stakes. The Carolina forward, acquired mid-season in a trade, scored twice—his first two playoff goals ever—and the Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
It was a victory built on the margins. Carolina had played the entire series without Frederik Andersen, their starting goaltender, sidelined by a lower-body injury. When Boston's David Pastrnak collided with backup Antti Raanta in Game 2, sending him out with an upper-body ailment, the Hurricanes turned to rookie Pyotr Kochetkov for his NHL playoff debut. The Bruins, meanwhile, had made their own desperation move in net, yanking Linus Ullmark after two games—he'd posted a .860 save percentage and 4.16 goals-against average—and inserting rookie Jeremy Swayman. Neither goaltender had ever played in a Game 7 before.
The first period belonged to Carolina's depth. With less than 90 seconds remaining, Teuvo Teravainen buried a puck backdoor on Swayman to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. Boston answered with a power play opportunity when Taylor Hall was hit with a double-minor for high sticking, but the Bruins' penalty kill held. That's when Domi struck. He slipped behind Boston's coverage and extended Carolina's advantage to 2-0—his first playoff goal, a moment he would not have to wait long to repeat.
Jake DeBrusk cut the deficit to one early in the second period, but Domi came again midway through the frame to make it 3-1. The Bruins entered the night with a 1-13-0 record when trailing by multiple goals through two periods. They would not improve that mark, even as David Pastrnak added a goal with 20 seconds left in regulation to set a final score of 3-2.
The series itself had been shaped by a peculiar geography. Home ice proved decisive in ways that rarely happen in playoff hockey. For only the ninth time in NHL history, the host team won every single game in a series. Carolina had faced Boston twice before in the postseason—losing to them in the 2018-19 Eastern Conference Finals and again in the 2020-21 COVID tournament second round. The Bruins had not lost in the first round since 2016-17, reaching at least the semifinals in three of the past four seasons and making a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2018-19. This time, finally, the Hurricanes sent them home early.
Next up for Carolina would be the winner of Sunday's Game 7 between Pittsburgh and New York. The Hurricanes had overcome injuries, inexperience in net, and the weight of recent history. Domi, the mid-season addition, had announced himself when it mattered most.
Notable Quotes
Boston was 1-13-0 this season when down by multiple goals through two periods— Game statistics
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
How much of this win came down to Domi specifically, and how much was just the Hurricanes being the better team?
Domi was the spark, but he wasn't the whole story. Carolina had to survive without their starting goalie and then their backup. That's not a small thing. But when you're in Game 7, you need someone to step up who hasn't been there before, and Domi did exactly that.
The Bruins seem like they should have won this. They've been so good for so long.
They were good. But home ice in a seven-game series is brutal if you're the road team. Boston won the games they played at home, but they couldn't steal one in Raleigh. That's the difference between advancing and going home.
What does this say about Domi as a player?
He was brought in mid-season for a reason—the Hurricanes thought he could help in moments like this. Most players don't score in their first two playoff games, let alone in Game 7. He answered the call when the pressure was highest.
And the goalies—both rookies in their first Game 7?
Swayman held up for Boston until late. Kochetkov did his job for Carolina. Neither was the story, really. The story was that Carolina's depth—Teravainen, Domi, the role players—outmatched Boston's when it mattered.
Does this change how we think about the Bruins going forward?
They'll be back. But losing in the first round after the season they've had, after the history they've built—that stings. And it took everything Carolina had, including a player who'd been on the team for less than four months.