Bruins beat Hurricanes, lead East finals 2-0

BOSTON — Matt Grzelcyk scored twice — his first career multigoal game — and Tuukka Rask made 21 saves to lead the Bruins to a 6-2 victory over Carolina on Sunday and give Boston a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Connor Clifton had his first career NHL goal — the 19th Boston player to score this postseason, tying a franchise record. Jake DeBrusk, David Backes and Danton Heinen also found the net, and Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle had three assists apiece.

“It does feel contagious,” said Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy, whose team won its fifth straight game and needs two more victories to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in nine seasons. “Everybody’s contributing.”

The series moves to Raleigh, N.C., for Game 3 on Tuesday.

“Sometimes you’ve got to eat a poop sandwich. It doesn’t taste good and you have to chew on it for a little bit,” Carolina captain Justin Williams said. “We’ll have to do it for a couple of days and get the taste out of our mouth next game.”

Boston led 6-0 before the Hurricanes’ offense awoke. Williams and Teuvo Teravainen scored in the last nine minutes.

The Bruins are “playing their game,” said Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour, whose team lost the first two games against the Washington Capitals in the first round before eliminating the defending champions in seven. “We haven’t gotten to ours.”

Grzelcyk and DeBrusk scored late in the first, and Clifton made it 3-0 early in the second.

With two minutes left in the middle period and Boston on the power play, Heinen took a long pass out of the Boston zone from Marcus Johansson and drew two defenders with him before sliding it into the slot.

Grzelcyk slipped the puck over to his backhand and beat goalie Petr Mrazek to make it...