Devils vs. Hurricanes
The Devils have been on an absolute rollercoaster ride through these playoffs, and it continued in Game 3 with an 8-4 victory against Carolina. Just like in the first round, New Jersey found themselves totally outplayed in the first two games of this series before switching the script and dominating Game 3. Vitek Vanecek is now back in between the pipes, and Luke Hughes made an immediate impact in his playoff debut, grabbing two assists in just under fifteen minutes of ice time.
In Game 4, they’ll look to once again get off to a fast start and keep the offence buzzing. After struggling to find any offence in the first two games, something clearly clicked for the Devils in Game 3. However, they can’t rely on scoring the way they did on Saturday, and they’ll still need to be better defensively. In Game 3, the team allowed three short-handed goals. The game was already basically decided, and Carolina was forced to play very aggressively, but look for New Jersey to still sharpen up with the man advantage tonight.
At this point, it’s just hard to know which Devils team we’re going to see tonight. In 10 total playoff games, the team is 5-5. They’ve looked great in all five wins, and not good at all in every loss. With the home crowd behind them and the belief they have in the room, though, I think we’ll see the best version of New Jersey tie the series up tonight.
Stars at Kraken
After a commanding 7-2 win from the Kraken in Game 3, the Stars are also in desperate need of a win to avoid the brink of elimination in this second round series. Seattle’s depth continues to be a problem in the playoffs, and it was on full display on Sunday night as the team had seven different goal scorers. Jake Oettinger and the defence will certainly have to be better tonight. Unfortunately, they may have to do it without Miro Heiskanen, who’s day-to-day after being hit in the face with a puck in Game 3.
The Stars will also need some more production from their top forwards. In this series so far, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz have combined for just one assist. When you compare that with the combined 19 points in the first round, it’s no wonder Dallas is having issues against Seattle.
On the bright side of things, Dallas is an experienced team that can respond to a loss. They’re 3-0 after losing a game in the playoffs so far, and they’ve got the veteran presence in the room that should keep the team calm and collected. It’ll be a tough atmosphere again in Seattle but expect the Stars to bounce back tonight. Their efforts may not garner a win, but it certainly won’t be another blowout.
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