If you had Hurricanes and Devils marked down for the second round’s highest-scoring game, take a bow. The two teams combined to score 12 goals Sunday afternoon and Carolina scored three (3!) shorthanded goals and still lost. It was interesting to see the Devils bounce back after being dominated in the first two games, getting outscored 11-2 on the road.
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Seattle scored five goals in the second period to run away with a 7-2 win against Dallas and take a 2-1 series lead. This is starting to feel like the Avalanche series where we kept expecting the Avalanche to dominate and close out the series. Still, they never did, and the Kraken just kept playing consistent hockey throughout the series.
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Game 4 – Hurricanes at Devils
Carolina leads 2-1
7 p.m. on ESPN, SN, CBC
The Devils turned back to Vítek Vaněček in goal, and it paid off with a victory, even if he did allow four goals. Backup Akira Schmid provided the spark in the first round that led New Jersey to erase a 2-0 series lead the Rangers built. Now, we’ll see if the Devils stick with Vaněček or return to Schmid.
Overcoming a 2-0 deficit against the Hurricanes is a tougher task, and if New Jersey wants to do that again, it’ll need Jack Hughes to lead the way. He did that on Sunday with two goals and two assists. Playing at home probably helped with getting more favorable matchups for Hughes with the last change.
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said his team played terribly and New Jersey took advantage. It’s really the first blip on the radar this postseason for the Hurricanes which made quick work of the Islanders and took a 2-0 lead against New Jersey. They also got blown out in Game 3 of the first round, but bounced back in Game 4 with a 5-1 win to take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Islanders.
I’m shocked to see the Devils as such big favorites for Tuesday’s game. Carolina played pretty bad on Sunday, and the Canes have still been the most consistent team in the playoffs.
Game 4 – Stars at Kraken
Seattle leads 2-1
9:30 p.m. on ESPN, SN
Seattle responded in a major way after getting outplayed badly in Game 2 in Dallas. Now, the Stars must again respond after they trail in this series. I’ve long doubted Seattle as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup in these playoffs. But that’s starting to change as they continue to show that they have a consistent lineup with Yanni Gourde leading the way in the scoring department. It also helps that goalie Philipp Grubauer is getting hot at the right time and has a .918 save percentage in the playoffs. He has playoff experience from his time with Colorado and Washington.
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Kraken forward Jared McCann may be getting closer to returning as he took the morning skate in a red practice jersey on Sunday.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger got the hook after allowing five goals on 17 shots on Sunday and as Saad Yousef pointed out, it’s the worst game of Oettinger’s career.
Dallas shouldn’t be pushing the panic button right now, but they also lost its best player — Miro Heiskanen — to injury in Game 3 and his status remains up in the air. Even if he’s able to play, it may not be at 100 percent and is something to keep an eye on.
(Top photo: Andrew Mordzynski / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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