Andrei Svechnikov (hat trick), Canes send Devils to brink

Andrei Svechnikov recorded a hat trick in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Sunday for the Carolina Hurricanes, who overcame the second-period loss of goalie Frederik Andersen to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 in Newark, N.J., and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

The Hurricanes, the only NHL team to win at least one playoff round in each of the last four seasons, will attempt to close out the Devils in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Svechnikov, the lone player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to post a hat trick in a postseason game, scored in the opening minute of the first and second periods before icing the win by collecting an empty-netter with 3:17 left in the third.

Svechnikov posted his first playoff hat trick on Aug. 3, 2020, when he scored three times against the New York Rangers in a qualifying-round game during the COVID-19 bubble tournament.

Jaccob Slavin scored in the first and Jordan Martinook began adding insurance by scoring with 5:46 left in the third. Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake and Brent Burns each had two assists for Carolina.

Andersen earned the win by stopping six of seven shots before he was injured with 15:41 left in the second. With the Hurricanes up 3-1, Timo Meier crashed into Andersen after a shot by Ondrej Palat sailed wide of the net.

The goalie fell into the net and Meier was initially whistled for a five-minute major, though it was overturned upon review. Andersen, who was limited to 22 games this season due to a blood clot, was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov, who made 14 saves in his first action since April 16.

Nico Hischier scored on the Devils' final shot against Andersen 2:45 into the second. Meier, who assisted on Hischier's goal, pulled New Jersey within 3-2 fewer than three minutes after Kochetkov entered.

Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom recorded 25 saves.

--Field Level Media