After a 3-2 double overtime loss in Game 4 Saturday evening at UBS Arena, the Hurricanes were back on the ice for the first time on Monday and had some slight adjustments in the forward lineups.
While the top line of Jake Guentzel - Sebastian Aho - Andrei Svechnikov stayed the same, the other three lines saw some shifts.
Jack Drury was moved up to 2C alongside Jordan Martinook and Martin Necas, Jordan Staal gained a new winger in Teuvo Teravainen on the opposite side of Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi joined Evgeny Kuznetsov and Stefan Noesen on the fourth line.
"I wouldn't read too much into the lines today," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "We were just looking at some other things, but I don't know if that's how it'll go tomorrow."
However, that's a classic Brind'Amour-ism that he loves to say and then in the very next game, it's the same line combos.
The Canes haven't been bad by any means to need drastic measures, but with only six 5v5 goals scored in four games, they need something to start clicking.
Part of that issue is the top line's inability to score so far.
The line controls play, with a 63.75 CF%, 66.67 HDCF% and 55.22 xGF%, but they've scored just one 5v5 goal combined.
Not good enough for a trio of offensive stars that combined for 63 even strength goals in the regular season.
The 2C position has been the next biggest issue for Carolina and really has been one all season.
Kotkaniemi has brought his scoring struggles into the playoffs having had two chances in Game 4 miss by just inches; however, the biggest issue is that his lines have had the worst expected goal totals on the team.
As such, Drury, who has been a steady two-way player for Carolina, gets the bump up to help try and control those minutes better.
However, he's not much of an offensive threat but hopefully his play couple with Martinook's forechecking ability can create the time and space for Necas, who is an offensive threat.
Drury had great chemistry in the middle of the regular season as 2C with Necas, so hopefully that magic can continue.
It's fair to wonder though why Kuznetsov, who has the highest offensive upside among the options for 2C and perhaps should see his minutes raised because of that, hasn't gotten the shot yet.
He's been stuck in a 4C role since the start of the postseason after he showed so much promise after the trade deadline.
"I think there's still time for him to take on a little more minutes, but I've liked what he's done," Brind'Amour said. "Just the right fit isn't quite there yet and we'll keep tinkering with it.
"Sometimes with certain players you have to have that same way your thinking. Kuzy's one of those guys where he definitely thinks outside of the box with the way he plays the game and we know it's obviously been very effective."
Kuznetsov had a hot start with Carolina but then quickly tapered off. It's a completely new system with new expectations for the Russian centerman, but he's done well in a depth role still.
Perhaps playing with Kotkaniemi who himself is more of an East-West style of player can work, but I'm a proponent of reuniting him with Necas and perhaps one of Svechnikov or Guentzel.
However, perhaps the true second line is more so the Staal line with Teravainen and Jarvis. Three defensively responsible players who will be getting the toughest assignment in Game 5 which means they'll be on the ice a lot.
The combination of a big-body forechecker, a tenacious scoring winger and a smart, playmaker could be a dangerous trio for Carolina too.
The Canes will be hoping that these lines click as they look to close out their series against the New York Islanders in Game 5 Tuesday night at PNC Arena.
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