The Carolina Hurricanes have gotten off to a great start this postseason, winning their first two games in Raleigh to take a 2-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils in the first round. 4-1 and 3-1 victories on Sunday and Tuesday have the group firing on all cylinders as they're halfway to a series victory for the seventh straight season. With the success at home, it's time to hit the road.
Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday transpire from the Prudential Center in New Jersey, giving the Devils a chance to get back into the series. The Canes have struggled away from Raleigh this season, going 16-21-4 during the regular season. Their 36 road points were the fewest of the 16 playoff teams and 22nd in the league overall.
Since the Whalers joined the NHL in 1979, Game 3 has historically been the franchise's worst game in the best-of-seven format. They're 11-22 all-time in Game 3s, including 6-11 on the road. Under Rod Brind'Amour, the team is 5-9 in Game 3, going a disappointing 3-6 away from home. With two games in New Jersey on the horizon, here are some of the stories I'm keeping my eye on this weekend.
Can Andrei Svechnikov be a pest and a producer?
Through two games, Andrei Svechnikov and Jacob Markstrom have become well acquainted. In Game 1, Markstrom attempted to slash Svechnikov in the leg during a sequence in the third period, but he missed and caught teammate Cody Glass instead. In Game 2, they were back at it, with Markstrom giving Svechnikov the business after he crashed into the post.
Markstrom has been excellent in the series thus far, stopping 66 of 71 shots, including 41 shots in the opening game. However, his temper has gotten the best of him thus far, with Svechnikov being the main target. We're not to the point of Svechnikov living rent-free in Markstrom's head, but we're starting to get there.
Seeing Svechnikov get to his physical game is great. He's laid five hits through two games and hasn't been afraid to mix it up. Now, he needs to find his playmaking side. He scored an empty-net goal in Game 1 but was held without a shot in Game 2. Whether finding the back of the net or setting up his teammates, getting Svechnikov on the scoresheet will be big this weekend.
Will Brind'Amour stick with Frederik Andersen?
To be clear, I'm not suggesting that Rod Brind'Amour will switch things up for Game 3. The team is 2-0 and had two days between Games 2 and 3. There is absolutely no reason to deviate from Andersen for the third game with the way he's been going. In fact, I don't think he'll make any lineup changes for Friday's game.
This situation is purely hypothetical and pertains to what could happen if the team drops Game 3. This year's start is reminiscent of the first two games in 2023, albeit with a lot less scoring. The Canes took a 2-0 series lead over the Devils in 2023 before New Jersey chased Andersen by scoring four goals in the first 20:53 of Game 3. The Devils won 8-4, and Andersen was back in the net for Game 4.
I'm curious how quick of a hook the head coach has if things start to go sideways during this trip. Obviously, I hope we don't have to worry about that, but the Canes haven't strayed from their rotation much this season. If Andersen starts showing signs of fatigue, or his performance in Game 3 doesn't match his first two starts, don't be surprised if Pyotr Kochetkov gets his chance.
Does the power play get going?
The Carolina Hurricanes' greatest area of concern entering the playoffs was their power play. After traditionally being very good during the regular season and getting off to a hot start this year, the Canes finished near the bottom of the league in conversions (25th, 18.7%). At 12.4% since the start of the new year, it felt at times that they'd never score another goal on the power play.
It's hard to ignore that part of the reason for the team's struggles on the road in 2025 can be attributed to their sloppiness with the man advantage. Since New Year's, the Canes are a league-worst 6.1% (3-for-49) away from home. If there's a silver lining, Andrei Svechnikov converted on the power play during their season finale in Ottawa.
The power play hasn't looked terrible against the Devils. The second unit converted in Game 1 on Logan Stankoven's second goal of the game, giving the Canes a 3-0 lead. While they're only 1-for-6 in the series, the Canes own the advantage, as their penalty kill is 5-for-5 with a short-handed goal. The special teams' battle has been an important one in the series, and that won't change moving forward.
The next two games could tell us a lot, both for the series and the Carolina Hurricanes' hopes throughout the remainder of the playoffs, should they advance. Losing both games sends the series back to Raleigh with a lot of uncertainty. A split gives the Canes a chance to advance at home next Tuesday. Wins in both games ends the series, moving the Canes a step closer to their ultimate goal.