By VIN A. CHERWOO AP Sports Writer
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils had the top special teams units in the NHL this season. Things haven’t worked out so well in the playoffs, and they are now one loss away from elimination.
The Devils were third on the power play at a franchise-record 28.2% during the regular season, but went 0 for 2 in their 5-2 loss in Game 4 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday that dropped them to a 3-1 deficit in the first-round series.
New Jersey is now 0 for 12 with the man advantage against Carolina, which had the NHL’s top penalty kill at 83.6%. The Devils remained the only playoff team without a power-play goal.
“It has to be a difference-maker, especially in the playoffs,” forward Nico Hischier said. “It’s just not clicking right now, but I think we got to get a little looser and not holding our sticks too much. We know we have a good power play, we’ve showed it all year, so just got to loosen up a bit, change our mindset. … We have to find a way to get one. I feel if we get one, then it’ll come.”
The Devils have managed just 14 shots on goal during their 12 advantages against a stifling Hurricanes penalty kill.
“They’ve had some good looks, but our goaltending always has been our best penalty-killer,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “We’ve just done a good job of pressuring at the right times with sticks and being on the same page. Win some draws early, getting them down the ice and making them work 200 feet to get any zone time.
“It’s been good for the PK, but we got a tall task ahead of us still.”
On the flip side, the Devils’ second-ranked penalty-kill (82.7%) went 2 for 3 and gave up its fourth goal on 13 chances against a Hurricanes team that was 25th on the power play at 18.7%.
“Special teams is a very important thing in the playoffs, and we got to be better,” forward Timo Meier said. “That’s it.”
The Devils got their first power play of Game 4 when Carolina’s Sean Walker was sent off for tripping with 3:57 left in the first period and the Hurricanes leading 2-0. The Devils managed just a long shot by Meier that Frederik Andersen turned aside.
The Hurricanes went on a power play with 31 seconds left in the first on an interference penalty on Dougie Hamilton. They took advantage when Seth Jarvis’ shot from the right circle deflected off Andrei Svechnikov’s stick and past Markstrom 42 seconds into the second to push the lead to 3-0.
The Devils’ next chance came when the Hurricanes’ Dmitry Orlov was whistled for hooking with 6:01 left in the second. New Jersey, trailing 3-2, again had only one shot during the power play, when Jesper Bratt got a pass in front but couldn’t get a handle on the puck and Pyotr Kochetkov smothered it.
Carolina got another power play with 2:44 left in the second when Jonas Siegenthaler was sent off for interference, but was held to one shot during the advantage.
Hamilton was whistled for high-sticking 52 seconds into the third, and Markstrom had three saves during the Hurricanes’ advantage.