Thoughts From My Couch: Carolina Hurricanes v. Nashville Predators, Round 1, Game 4

It's put up or shut up time for the Canes going into Game 4. After taking the first two games at home, Nashville bounced back with a 5-4 2 OT win in Game 3, narrowing the Canes lead in the series to 2-1. For the third game in a row, the Canes will be without Jaccob Slavin. There are no lineup changes, meaning Max Lajoie, who I thought played well despite the hooking penalty in the second overtime, will remain in the lineup. This also means Alex Nedeljkovic will be getting the start in net for the fourth straight game. I thought he also played well despite allowing five goals. The defense in front of him needs to be a lot better if they want to return home with a 3-1 lead. This means preventing Nashville from stretching the ice and getting in 1-on-1 with the goalie, something that happened twice in Game 4, leading to goals each time. With a 2:30p start, this game is bound to be really weird. There's always something about non-7p or 8p starts that feel weird to me. I expect the Canes to bounce back because 3-1 feels a lot better than 2-2. 

1st Period: Hurricanes 1, Predators 1

If you take away the goal 57 seconds into the game for Nashville, the Canes dominated the play in the first periods. You don't need the shot counter to tell you that. Carolina was buzzing the entire period, but it was an absolutely ugly goal from Vincent Trocheck, that Martin Necas did all the work on, that was the team's only tally. The game could very well be 2-1, maybe even 3-1, had it not been for Juuse Saros, which is a statement I'm getting tired of saying in this series. Nashville's goal was very avoidable when Dougie Hamilton tried a no-look outlet pass that went straight to Ryan Ellis and setting up all the events leading to the goal. The Canes, surprisingly, had more power play opportunities in the period but were unable to put the puck in the net on the man advantage. Ned didn't face many shots and was perfect after the first puck went in. There honestly isn't much to say about the period. The refs got together on another DOG POG play and I think they got it wrong again, but I could be wrong. They did use replay correctly to overturn a potential high-sticking double-minor to Andrei Svechnikov when the Preds were guilty of some friendly fire. Given the number of shots, the Canes should be winning, but frankly, they were lucky to be tied.

2nd Period: Hurricanes 2, Predators 2

Another period I feel the Canes were lucky to end tied, Nashville came out with a little bit more of an edge. I still think the Canes played better, but the swings in momentum were very clear. Nashville's second goal is on Ned. He had three chances to cover the puck and he just couldn't corral it. The result was Ryan Johansen putting the puck in the net early in the period to give Nashville another one-goal lead. The Canes were awarded the period's only power play, but nothing came of it. They outshot Nashville again, but it took just over 18 minutes to tie the game when Brock McGinn ripped a shot off the post and in to tie the game 2-2 on a feed from Steven Lorentz that Saros had no chance on. The Canes could've been down 3-1 right after Johansen's goal, but Ned, making up for the goal, made an amazing save on a 2-on-0 to keep it a one-goal game at the time. This to me was where the period shifted back in the Canes' favor. Since the Canes have a decided edge in power play time heading into the third period, I have a sneaking suspicion the refs are going to be on high alert to make some calls. I hope it doesn't come to that, but we won't know until it happens. Game 1 was tied 2-2 after the second period and the Canes shut down the Preds en route to a 5-2 win. It's going to take that effort and then some if they want to pull this one out on the road.

3rd Period: Hurricanes 3, Predators 3

The periods have felt like they are progressively becoming more even. This was the most even the two teams have been thus far in the game, meaning we are getting another overtime game. Brock McGinn wanted it to be over so early that he scored 13 seconds into the period on a beautiful shot off the inside bar and out. This lead would be short-lived when the Predators scored on a deflection on the power play. As expected, the Canes took the only two penalties of the period. Alex Nedeljkovic made two ten-bell pad saves down the stretch that could've easily put the Preds ahead for good, granted the second likely wouldn't have counted if it had gone in since it was played with a high stick. Nashville was buzzing in the latter stages of the period, which doesn't bode well if the Canes can't finish this game early in overtime. Nashville has managed to tilt the ice back in their favor and it can't be overstated how important a win this would be for either team. This game has not been good for those with low-stress tolerances, like myself. Time to bring this one home.

1st Overtime: Hurricanes 3, Predators 3

Each team had their chances to end it, but the goalies want to play a little longer. As the period went on, it felt more like each team just wanted to skate up and down the ice. Way too many times, the Canes lost races to the front of the net that resulted in Ned stopping little tip shots in close. This game has turned into a marathon. The Canes did get a power play thanks to a DOG POG penalty, but nothing came as a result and it wasn't particularly impressive. Svech got away with a trip or a knee towards the end of the period, so I have a feeling the next call is going to be on the Canes unless it is blatantly obvious the Preds committed an infraction. The longer this game goes, the tougher it is to call. Something is going to have to give.

2nd Overtime: Hurricanes 3, Predators 4

This was just deflating. Alex Nedeljkovic did everything he could after giving up the second goal, but the effort in the second OT wasn't acceptable if they want to win a first-round game and certainly won't get them very far. A defensive breakdown led to the winner from Luke Kunin and evened up the series at two games each. The Canes didn't match the effort of the Preds after dominating the early stages of the game. It's a disappointing way to end their time in Nashville.

Canes' Three Stars of the Game

Third Star- Brett Pesce- 40:16 TOI

It bears repeating that Brett Pesce is the most important defenseman on the team and this is a classic example. He played over 40 minutes in this game. That's ridiculous to me, but it shows just how much the team is relying on him and Brady Skjei (39:02 TOI) to step up in the absence of Jaccob Slavin. It becomes even more important when you have games go into OT. He has been an absolute workhorse in this series.

Second Star- Jordan Martinook- 2 A

Martinook quietly posted his first-ever multi-point playoff game with two helpers, but what stood out for me was his role on Brock McGinn's first goal. He got the secondary assist on the goal but it was his net-front presence that prevented Saros from seeing the shot and helping tie the game at two. His second assist was a primary assist on McGinn's second goal in the third period that gave the Canes the lead for a brief period. 

First Star- Brock McGinn- 2 G

McGinn felt like one of the few high points of the team in this game. I admit most of it is due to his two goals, but they were extremely timely goals for the Canes. His first was a clapper that tied the game going into the second intermission and the second was critical in setting the tone early in the third period. He almost completed the hat trick in OT but was stopped by Saros, as were most of his teammates. McGinn can get hot and now would be a good time for him to keep this level of play up.

Final Thoughts

It's a best-of-three series now. There are some things working in the Canes favor. They return home for Tuesday night, meaning the fan advantage can work more in their favor, and having home-ice advantage would mean they'll play more at home than on the road if the series goes the distance. The Canes, despite the outcomes, have been the better team for most of the last two games. The problem is they've allowed Nashville to pick up momentum as each game goes along and a lot of that can be contributed to the play of Juuse Saros. But there are still some major question marks and problems for the next few games. The biggest concern is the health of Jaccob Slavin. Each game is a "will he or won't he" in terms of whether he'll be in the lineup and the Canes really need him to be healthy for Tuesday's game. The team can't continue to rely on Pesce and Skjei to play ungodly minutes, especially with how Dougie Hamilton has performed defensively in the last two games. The two wins in Nashville have also awoken the likes of Johansen, Duchene, and Forsberg, which isn't good if you're the Canes. It's also time for guys like Hamilton and Andrei Svechnikov to stand up. They've been relatively silent in the last few games and a lot of the team's success centers around how well they play. 

This is a less than ideal situation for the team to be in. After dominating at home, they've lost consecutive 2 OT games and allowed Nashville back into the series. Winning today would've provided a lot more breathing room, but Nashville had different plans. Tuesday night turns into a huge game. The series is guaranteed to return to Nashville for Game 6, so Tuesday almost turns into a must-win game for the Canes, as over-used as that term might be. It's a brand-new series and the team needs to treat it as such.