The Carolina Hurricanes took a dominant 2-0 lead against the New Jersey Devils in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on their previous series with the New York Rangers, the Devils are not worried, and they believe they can still turn the tide. Although the Devils lost the first two games against the Rangers, they rallied to win their series in seven games. The Devils need to reverse their fortunes if they want to repeat their victory. According to Devils winger Miles Wood, “We’ve been here before, especially in the first round against a great team, and we came back and won. So they haven’t seen our best yet.”
Keys to Game 3
The Hurricanes could close out the series if they continue to excel in specific areas. Here are the keys to Game 3 of the playoffs:
Reclaiming the Hustle
The Devils must regain their hustle after losing to the Hurricanes. The Devils captain, Nico Hischier, was unsatisfied with his team’s effort in the first two games against Carolina. He said, “We should be really pissed off right now.” The Devils went from being the hunter against the Rangers to the hunted against the Hurricanes. It takes a different kind of energy to fight through that. Coach Lindy Ruff said, “Right now, at 5-on-5, they’re the better team. We’ve got to win more battles. We have to be more determined. The way we change this series is to improve our 5-on-5 play and some of the execution with the puck.”
Boosting Goaltending
The Devils are expected to make a goalie change for Game 3 after getting outscored 11-2 on the road. Veteran Vitek Vanecek, who has seen time in both games against Carolina, is likely to start over rookie Akira Schmid. Although Schmid replaced Vanecek in Game 3 against the Rangers, this time, Vanecek will try to orchestrate his own rally.
Confidence Offensively
The Devils have not been able to use their speed to create chances, and the chances they do create haven’t been clean looks. They must recapture their offensive swagger and get their defensemen more involved in the attack. Rookie Luke Hughes is replacing the injured Ryan Graves, and he has the kind of puck-moving creativity the team needs right now.
Defensive Zone Devil-Free
One reason the Devils’ best players have been unable to get rolling in the offensive zone is that they have spent little time there. The Hurricanes are doing a great job of making chances one and done, and the Devils must recapture their offensive momentum. The Hurricanes are spending more time in the attacking zone, and the Devils need to keep them defending to have a chance.
Continuing Special Team Dominance
The Hurricanes have been dominating on the penalty kill, and the Devils have been unable to build any momentum on the power play. The Devils are undoubtedly going to switch up tactics and personnel, but it is imperative for the Hurricanes to continue giving them nothing with a man advantage.
Freddie’s Steady Performance
As the Devils sort out their goaltending, the Hurricanes are playing well in front of Frederik Andersen, who has been one of the stories of the playoffs. He returned to the lineup in Game 6 against the Islanders, after an illness and a minor injury. Andersen has allowed only one goal in each of his three postseason games, looking very steady between the pipes for Carolina. Stability is vital in a playoff series, and so far, the Hurricanes look practically unbothered by their opponents.
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