The Carolina Hurricanes face the New Jersey Devils in Game Four of the Second Round. The Hurricanes won the first two games on their home ice but were embarrassed in Game Three with a four-goal defeat. The Devils meanwhile put together a statement 8-4 Game Three win and look to step up once again on their home ice. The Hurricanes look to take a 3-1 series lead while the Devils hope to even up the series and Game Four should be a great one.
The Hurricanes have controlled this series with their offense leading the way, scoring 15 goals in the first three games. Jordan Martinhook, Seth Jarvis, and Jesper Fast have scored five goals and nine assists to lead the top two lines but the rest of the offense has stepped up as well. Jordan Staal, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Sebastian Aho have combined for six goals and four assists while defensemen Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin, and Shayne Gostisbehere have added one goal and five assists from the point to open up the offense.
The offense has been great but the defense, which allowed only two goals in the first two games, fell apart in Game Three, allowing eight goals in the loss. Slavin, Pesce, and Brent Burns have led the top two pairings but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing the Devils to find open shots on the net at will. In addition, goaltender Frederik Andersen has struggled, allowing six goals on 59 shots, and was replaced by backup Pyotr Kochetkov in Game Three.