By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer
A sequence of events in a Stanley Cup Final 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 won Game 2, and rallied from down four goals in Game 3, only to lose in double overtime 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.
“It’s part of the gig, and it’s never easy,” captain Jordan Staal said. “It’s never going to be easy, and we know that and we understand that. We’ve got a bigger hill to climb now, but we’re excited for the challenge and excited to keep playing hard and keep moving forward.”
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 banked off the end boards and went in 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.
“I don’t anticipate a lot of changes to our lineup,” Brind’Amour said on a video call with reporters Sunday. “We’ll see how (Andersen is) feeling. I haven’t made any decisions on the lineup, so I can’t tell you.”
It was not clear if Andersen was banged up in any way. The 36-year-old from Denmark also was not chiefly to blame for allowing four goals on 16 shots in Game 3.
“You obviously don’t want to give up some of the chances we’ve given up, but overall I thought he’s been fine,” Brind’Amour said. “You ask him to make the saves that he’s got to make, and I think he’s done that. A couple bad bounces, they are what they are. He’s been solid for us, Buss came in and was solid for us, so that’s got to continue.”
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 hat trick and a four-point second period with a breakaway goal. One emphasis moving forward will be trying to avoid Marner breaking through for quality chances.
“We have to know when he’s on the ice because that’s kind of how he loves to play,” Brind’Amour said. “If we can eliminate some of those, I call ’em freebies … that’ll definitely help.”
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 “Fortress.” 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.
“I think we can tighten some things up and be a lot better, and I think we’re right there,” veteran winger Jordan Martinook said. “We’ll look at some things and see where we can improve and come back Tuesday ready to try and even this up.”