from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

There was a moment early in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Thursday where a defiant Dougie Hamilton went face-to-face with Zdeno Chara during a scrum. He didn’t flinch or back away.

"Just a hockey play, I think," said Hamilton. "An old friend."

It seemed to say a lot about where we’re at to begin this best-of-seven series. You had Hamilton, the former Boston Bruins defenceman of the future, looking fear directly in the eye — a nice proxy for his Carolina Hurricanes coming into TD Garden and trying to hold their nerve while keeping company among the NHL’s Final Four.

They were each left with some regrets after a disastrous six-minute stretch in the third period derailed an otherwise encouraging night. It saw Carolina take three penalties — two by Hamilton — and the fans derisively chant "Dougie! Dougie!" while the Bruins instantly flipped a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead on their way to taking Game 1.

"Well, I just watched both of them and I didn’t agree with either," Hamilton said of his penalties. "Not much else to say. The game’s over now and there’s nothing you can do about it."

The calls were certainly debatable. There seemed to be a never-ending discussion involving referees Marc Joannette and Dan O’Rourke during stoppages in this uneven opener, with Patrice Bergeron and Chara often pleading a case for the Bruins, and Justin Williams cross-examining on behalf of Carolina.

continued

Below, watch the highlights of Boston 5-2 win.