Game 4 Preview: Bruins vs. Hurricanes

TORONTO - Trailing 2-1 in their best-of-seven First Round series against the Boston Bruins, the Carolina Hurricanes are in search of a critical win in Game 4.

After the teams split the first two games of the series, Boston landed the latest blow with a 3-1 win in Game 3. Making a bad game even worse for the Canes was the injury to Andrei Svechnikov, who is highly doubtful to return in the series.

Revisiting Game 3

Less than a minute into Game 3, Teuvo Teravainen rang a shot off the post on the power play. Had that bounced in, the game probably ends differently. Later in the period, Jaroslav Halak reached behind him and placed his glove over the puck, which was likely across the goal line but nearly impossible to confirm through video review. And, by the time the puck was definitively across the goal line, the whistle had blown. Had that play bounced the Canes way, the game probably ends differently.

Instead, the Canes had nothing to show for one of their best periods of the postseason, the score 0-0 after one period.

Just 14 seconds into the second period, Charlie Coyle batted the puck out of midair on the power play to put the Bruins up 1-0.

"They pushed back. That's what they do. They're a championship hockey team with a lot of pedigree and a lot of playoff experience," Justin Williams said. "We weren't ready for the push back. As a result, we had to chase the game."

The Bruins out-shot (20-8) and out-attempted (30-17) the Canes in the second period alone, and not even 80 seconds into the third period, they doubled their lead when Sean Kuraly put his stick blade on the ice to redirect in a shorthanded tally.

Though Nino Niederreiter cashed in a gift from Halak on the power play about five minutes later, the Canes still couldn't counter the Bruins' push back.

"We had a good start. The first period was fine. I thought we deserved better," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "It was right there for us. We just let off the gas a little. That team is too good. If you give them an inch, they're taking a mile. They got their game going, and we just never got to our game for the rest of the game."

Moving Forward Without Svechnikov

Exacerbating the melancholy mood of a Game 3 loss was seeing Svechnikov helped off the ice late in regulation with an injury to his right leg, which bent awkwardly under him as he fell to the ice while jockeying with Zdeno Chara for net-front positioning.

Svechnikov had an MRI on Sunday, but other than saying he was highly doubtful for the remainder of the series, Brind'Amour didn't have any further update on the status of the Canes' sophomore star.

"It's unfortunate. I think the ice conditions at that time of the game had a lot to do with it. It was really slushy, and your skates dig in a little more at that point," Brind'Amour said. "Two guys battling in front. You hate seeing that on anybody, but especially one of your players and key guys, but that's part of the game."

Video: "Every team has injuries."

Prior to the postseason, the Video: "Every team has injuries.". It's now going to be relied upon.

"Every team has injuries," Brind'Amour said. "That's why you have depth, and other guys have to step up. You're not going to replace that player, for sure, the talent and everything, but there's no other alternative. It's a team game, and we know we need everyone to win. If we're going to have a chance, everyone has to produce, whoever is in the lineup."

Expect to see Ryan Dzingel, who played in the first two games of the series but was a healthy extra in Game 3, to draw back into the lineup for Game 4.

"Svech is a great player. It's not just one guy who takes his spot," Sebastian Aho said. "It has to be all of us that step up and fill his shoes."

Bouncing Back

When trailing a playoff series 2-1, the Canes own an all-time record of 8-1 in Game 4, and the team has gone on to win their last four playoff series when facing a 2-1 deficit.

"We've got a lot more to give," Williams said after Game 3. "We plan on being here for a long time, so we've got to show up."

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