LAS VEGAS - The Carolina Hurricanes are not expected to make any personnel changes for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights; however, there is some intrigue as to how exactly that lineup will take shape.
Midway through the team's Game 2 victory on Thursday in Raleigh, Rod Brind'Amour made a switch to his forward group, swapping Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis, eyeing some more production at five-on-five. Jarvis went on to score the game-winner on the power play in overtime, but will the change stick for today? The Canes' bench boss wouldn't commit to it pre-game when he met with the media.
It's worth noting that the same switch occurred during the team's Game 2 victory over Philadelphia in Round 2, but was reverted for Game 3.
In 15 playoff games, the trio of Jarvis (3), Sebastian Aho (3), and Andrei Svechnikov (2) has combined for just eight goals at even strength. By comparison, the unit of Taylor Hall (5), Logan Stankoven (8), and Jackson Blake (5) has produced 18.
Regardless of how the forward group looks, the only item of note on the blue line was that Alexander Nikishin resumed power-play duties on Stankoven's unit in Game 2. Nikishin had held the role for a good chunk of the regular season, but gave way to K'Andre Miller when the Russian blueliner had to come out of the lineup earlier in the postseason after suffering a concussion in Ottawa.
Behind it all, Frederik Andersen is expected to make his 16th start of the postseason. After giving up more than two goals just once in his first 13 starts of the postseason, Vegas found a way to put five and three behind him in Games 1 and 2, respectively. Despite the early-series roller coaster, his .917 save percentage (tied with Carter Hart) and 1.72 goals against average remain tops among all netminders with 10 games played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
---
Tonight's Projected Lineup...
Forwards
Svechnikov - Aho - Martinook/Jarvis
Hall - Stankoven - Blake
Ehlers - Staal - Martinook/Jarvis
Carrier - Jankowski - Robinson
Defense
Slavin - Chatfield
Miller - Walker
Gostisbehere - Nikishin
Starting Goaltender
Andersen
---
Injuries
N/A
Scratches
Nicolas Deslauriers
Pyotr Kochetkov
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Mike Reilly
---
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.
