Hurricanes cruise in Game 4, push Devils to brink in Eastern 2nd Round

NEWARK, N.J. --Jordan Martinook had his fourth straight multipoint game for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-1 win against the New Jersey Devils in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Prudential Center on Tuesday.

Martinook, who had a goal and two assists, became the first player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to achieve the feat in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has nine points (three goals, six assists) in the series after being held off the score sheet in six games against the New York Islanders in the first round.

Carolina can wrap up the best-of-7 series and advance to the Eastern Conference Final with a win in Game 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday.

"Obviously, it's good to contribute," Martinook said. "But just being up 3-1, going home, that's the main thing. After Sunday (8-4 loss in Game 3), we weren't happy, wanted to come out and obviously play our style. … Once we settled in, we got to our game."

Martin Necas scored twice, Brett Pesce and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist, and Frederik Andersen made 21 saves for the Hurricanes, the No. 1 seed in the Metropolitan Division.

"We thought we rebounded after that third game," Andersen said. "We got to wipe the slate clean, and come again in a couple days [later] and kind of (have) the same recipe."

Jack Hughes scored, and Vitek Vanecek allowed five goals on 17 shots for the Devils, the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan. Akira Schmid made 11 saves on 12 shots in relief.

It was the third time in four games New Jersey has allowed at least five goals; it has allowed 21 in the series and has pulled the starting goalie in each of the three losses (5-1 in Game 1, 6-1 in Game 2).

"It's unacceptable," Devils captain Nico Hischier said. "We had a game going on there, we got scored on and the bench got quiet and they made us pay really fast. Got to learn from that and can't let that happen again.

"Now we've got to play our best game of the year. We've got to stick together, and no time to feel sorry for ourselves and no mistakes allowed."

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Carolina scored five goals on 10 shots in the second period, including four in 5:20.

Necas gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead at 7:26. He chipped the puck over Vanecek's right shoulder after receiving a pass in the slot from Pesce that deflected off the stick of Jonas Siegenthaler.

"Early on, they got some momentum, and obviously they got a goal, and they were kind of buzzing for the first 5-10 minutes," Necas said. "Freddy made some nice saves there and then we got one, and then I feel like [in] the second period, we were playing our game and it was out of our end quick and in their end, and that's how we succeed."

Pesce extended it to 3-1 at 9:51 with a shot from the high slot, and Jesper Fast scored from in front for a 4-1 lead at 11:07.

Burns scored his first of the playoffs at 12:46 to make it 5-1 with a slap shot from the top of the right face-off circle.

"The game was won in a five-minute span, right? That's hockey," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "Sometimes you don't need all those goals, but that's what happens. You just can't take a breather and, for us, we were able to capitalize right there."

Martinook pushed it to 6-1 at 19:36, scoring from the right face-off dot off the rush.

"I don't think I've changed anything in this series," Martinook said. "It's just they're going in. ... I feel like the way our team plays, it just suits my style and I've been chipping in offensively which is [nice]. If I can keep doing that, then hopefully we keep winning."

Hughes gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 1:55 of the first period, redirecting a shot from the slot by Timo Meier after a turnover by Pesce.

Necas tied it 1-1 at 17:40, scoring on a snap shot after receiving a leading saucer pass from Martinook.

"I mean, tonight was probably as disappointed of a game, a crucial game. ... [the Hurricanes] kind of flipped it (from Game 3)," New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff said. "They competed harder on pucks, they won more battles than we did.

"Playoffs are hard. We didn't make it to a high enough level to win a hockey game tonight."

NOTES:Martinook's four multipoint games surpassed Sebastian Aho (three games, 2020 Staley Cup Qualifiers against the New York Rangers) and Bates Battaglia (three games, 2002 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens). His nine points in the series trail Battaglia (10 points, 2002 East Semifinals) and Cory Stillman (10 points, 2006 Eastern Conference Final against the Buffalo Sabres) for the most in a single series in Hurricanes/Whalers history. Martinook is the third player in NHL history to have nine points in a series after not getting a point in the previous round, joining Lanny McDonald (13 points, 1984 Smythe Division Final against the Edmonton Oilers) and Craig Janney (nine points, 1988 Prince of Wales Conference Final against the Devils) … Carolina scored three times in a span of 3:41, its second-fastest three goals in Hurricanes/Whalers Stanley Cup Playoff history behind Game 4 of the 1988 Adams Division Semifinals (3:31). … Aho had his six-game point streak end (four goals, four assists). … New Jersey has been outscored 32-7 in six losses this postseason.