On Sunday, April 27, the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes faced off for Game 4 at the Prudential Center. The Devils were coming off the momentum of their double OT win on Friday and needed another win to tie the series. The Hurricanes took an early lead and ultimately won 5-2.
Devils Had a Strong 2nd Period
When the second period began, the Hurricanes scored their third goal within the first minute. Deja vu to the first period, as Carolina scored within the first minute of the game as well. The Devils were down by three goals, but they were not giving up that easily.
Two minutes after the Hurricanes scored their third goal, New Jersey scored its first. Timo Meier passed the puck to Ondrej Palat, who took a shot. Frederik Andersen made the save, but Nico Hischier picked up the rebound. With a second shot, the captain put the Devils on the board.
Five minutes later, the Devils were within one. This was a completely different game at this point, as Andersen exited the crease after Meier crashed into him. Pyotr Kochetkov entered the crease in his stead. Off the faceoff, the puck came loose, and Meier picked it up. He fired it towards the goal, and the puck went between Kochetkov’s legs and past the blue line.
Hischier’s goal to put the Devils on the board and Meier’s two points changed the game for the Devils in the second period. Unfortunately, they could not keep up this momentum; the Hurricanes got the better of them in both the first and third periods. Carolina scored two more goals in the final 20, including an empty net goal. At this point, it was a runaway, and the Devils couldn’t catch up. New Jersey put up a good fight in the second period, but they needed to do this throughout the 60-minute game.
Markstrom Has Been On and Off this Whole Series
In Game 3, Jacob Markstrom kept the Devils in the game, especially during double overtime. However, he was also part of the Devils’ downfall.
Related: Hurricanes Take Advantage of Special Teams to Defeat Devils, Take 3-1 Series Lead
Markstrom let in four goals on 28 shots, earning him a save percentage (SV%) of .857%. For the series as a whole, he has an SV% of .913% and a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.53. This game was his lowest SV% of the four, and he appeared very tired. Arguably, the Devils should have started Jake Allen in this game, or at least pulled Markstrom at one point to give Allen a chance. The Devils are already dealing with tired defensemen, they do not need tired goaltenders as well.
Devils Are Feeling the Absence of Some Players
The Devils’ defense is dwindling by the second. Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon still have not returned to the lineup. On top of this, they lost Johnathan Kovacevic in Game 3. The Devils were down to five defensemen in Game 3, yet still managed to pull out the win.
In Game 4, the Devils were back up to six defensemen with the help of Dennis Cholowski. He played in Game 2 but was a scratch for Game 3. At least the Devils were back up to six defensemen, however, Cholowski did not have as much ice time (TOI) as his fellow defensemen. He only took to the ice at 8:46. Simon Nemec had the least TOI after Cholowski at 17:51, which was still nine minutes more than Cholowski.
The Devils are missing their star defensemen, and it’s beginning to show through the cracks. If they want to continue their playoff journey, they will need to make sure their team is rested for Tuesday.
Devils Need to Win Tuesday
The Devils and Hurricanes will face off for Game 5 of Round 1 on Tuesday, April 29 at the Lenovo Center. The Hurricanes now lead the series 3-1. This game is crucial for the Devils; it is a must-win if they want to continue their playoff push.
