PHILADELPHIA - The Carolina Hurricanes will operate business as usual on Saturday, when they try to close out the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their second-round series.
Carolina's forward corps has been highlighted by the trio of Taylor Hall (3G, 6A), Logan Stankoven (6G, 1A), and Jackson Blake (2G, 6A), a line that has combined for a ridiculous 24 points in seven games thus far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With that group held quiet for the first time in Thursday's Game 3, however, Jordan Staal (1G, 1A) and Andrei Svechnikov (1G, 1A) led the charge, both factoring in on two of the team's three goals on special teams.
Defenseman Alexander Nikishin returned to the lineup on Thursday for the first time since suffering a concussion in Game 4 of the first round and is expected to play again.
Behind the cast of skaters, Frederik Andersen will try to continue his otherworldly postseason run. Pacing all backstops with his .956 save percentage and 1.02 goals against average, he'll try to help the Hurricanes punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final for the fourth time in eight seasons.
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Tonight's Projected Lineup...
Forwards
Svechnikov - Aho - Jarvis
Hall - Stankoven - Blake
Ehlers - Staal - Martinook
Carrier - Jankowski - Robinson
Defense
Slavin - Chatfield
Miller - Walker
Gostisbehere - Nikishin
Starting Goaltender
Andersen
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Injuries
N/A
Scratches
Nicolas Deslauriers
Pyotr Kochetkov
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Mike Reilly
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PP1: Aho, Ehlers (Staal), Jarvis, and Svechnikov with Gostisbehere
PP2: Blake, Hall, Jankowski, and Stankoven with Nikishin
Jordan Staal has been taking the faceoffs to start most power plays. If he wins it, he'll stay on the ice. When the puck comes out of the zone, he jumps off, and Nikolaj Ehlers jumps on with the first unit. If he wins it for the second unit, Mark Jankowski jumps on when Staal goes off.
