A sequence of events in a that has gotten crazier by the minute has put the Carolina Hurricanes at a crossroads.
They blew a two-goal lead and lost Game 1, erased a two-goal deficit and and rallied from down four goals in Game 3, only to on a fluky bounce.
They have lived the ups and downs of a tight series against the Vegas Golden Knights and head into Game 4 on Tuesday night with a razor-thin margin for error. While each of the first three games was decided by a single goal, close doesn’t count toward anything but a 2-1 deficit they now need to try to overcome.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the gig, and it鈥檚 never easy,鈥� captain Jordan Staal said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never going to be easy, and we know that and we understand that. We鈥檝e got a bigger hill to climb now, but we鈥檙e excited for the challenge and excited to keep playing hard and keep moving forward.鈥�
Carolina faces several lingering questions, most notably who starts in net between Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi. Andersen played every minute of the first 15 playoff games before getting the hook at the second intermission Saturday night down 4-0, and Bussi was perfect in relief until a shot from Shea Theodore when the goaltender inadvertently redirected it with his left skate 5:38 into the second overtime.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour deferred the decision until after practice Monday, if not later.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 anticipate a lot of changes to our lineup,鈥� Brind’Amour said on a video call with reporters Sunday. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see how (Andersen is) feeling. I haven鈥檛 made any decisions on the lineup, so I can鈥檛 tell you.鈥�
It was not clear if Andersen was banged up in any way. also was not chiefly to blame for allowing four goals on 16 shots in Game 3.
鈥淵ou obviously don鈥檛 want to give up some of the chances we鈥檝e given up, but overall I thought he鈥檚 been fine,” Brind’Amour said. 鈥淵ou ask him to make the saves that he鈥檚 got to make, and I think he鈥檚 done that. A couple bad bounces, they are what they are. He鈥檚 been solid for us, Buss came in and was solid for us, so that鈥檚 got to continue.鈥�
A too many men on the ice penalty flipped the momentum Saturday at Vegas, after Brind’Amour had two Golden Knights goals taken off the board by successful challenges. Reliable defenseman Sean Walker knocking the puck into his own net came at an inopportune time, as did fourth-line forward William Carrier failing to clear the zone.
Mitch Marner scored on each of those occasions and finished off the with a breakaway goal. One emphasis moving forward will be trying to avoid Marner breaking through for quality chances.
鈥淲e have to know when he鈥檚 on the ice because that鈥檚 kind of how he loves to play,鈥� Brind’Amour said. 鈥淚f we can eliminate some of those, I call 鈥檈m freebies … that鈥檒l definitely help.鈥�
It would also help to get Carrier back after he missed the third period and OT because of an upper-body injury. Brind’Amour did not have an update other than hope that Carrier would be good to go in Game 4.
With or without him, the Hurricanes face close to a must-win situation at the arena on The Strip nicknamed the 鈥淔ortress.鈥� Only one team out of 39 that has fallen behind 3-1 in the final has come back to win it: Toronto in 1942.
Pointing out his team is a couple of shots away from what could be a 3-0 series lead, Brind’Amour is not worried about players dwelling over this deficit because they know how close it has been.
鈥淚 think we can tighten some things up and be a lot better, and I think we鈥檙e right there,鈥� veteran winger Jordan Martinook said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l look at some things and see where we can improve and come back Tuesday ready to try and even this up.鈥�
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