After losing Game 1 to the Carolina Hurricanes by a 4-1 final score, the New Jersey Devils looked to bounce back on April 22 for Game 2. Unfortunately, they did not get the result they had hoped for, as they fell to the Hurricanes by a 3-1 final score. With this, the Devils are now heading back to New Jersey, being down 2-0 in the series.
Game 2 started off promising for the Devils, as forward Jesper Bratt gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead at the 3:51 mark of the first period. Unfortunately, this would be New Jersey's only goal of the night, and the Hurricanes would score each of the game's last three goals.
Now, after falling to the Hurricanes in Game 2, the Devils are facing a must-win Game 3. If the Devils lose to the Hurricanes in this contest, they will go down 3-0 in the series, which is always incredibly difficult to come back from here. However, if the Devils win, they would only be down 2-1 in the series and would have the chance to tie it up at home in Game 4. Therefore, Game 3 carries a lot of importance for the Devils.
If the Devils hope to pick up a much-needed win in Game 3, they will need their offense to wake up during it. It is no secret that the Devils have struggled to score early on during it, but it will be interesting to see if that changes for them in Game 3 from here.
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