Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce reacts after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of Game 4 Tuesday night in Newark, N.J. Adam Hunger/Associated Press
NEWARK, N.J. — Jordan Martinook had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes scored five times in the second period to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
Martin Necas scored twice and Brett Pesce, Jesper Fast and Brent Burns added goals as the Hurricanes routed the young Devils for the third time in four games. Frederik Andersen made 21 saves in a relatively easy game after giving up an early goal to Jack Hughes.
The Hurricanes have outscored New Jersey 17-3 in their three wins. The five goals in the second period were the most the Devils have given up in a period this season.
The Canes, who edged the Devils for the Metropolitan Division title, can wrap up the best-of-seven series Thursday night in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Despite being down 2-1, New Jersey seemed to have the momentum coming into Game 4. It posted a one-sided 8-4 win on Sunday and had things and the crowd going their way after Hughes’ early tip for his sixth goal of the postseason.
Things changed late in the opening period when Martinook set up Necas with a deft flip pass for shot in close that beat Vitek Vanecek.
Everything went the Hurricanes way in the second period. They got a couple of friendly bounces off Devils’ sticks, and then poured it on as a timeout by New Jersey Coach Lindy Ruff and later a goaltender change to first-round hero Akira Schmid didn’t change the luck.
Martinook, who didn’t score a point in the six-game first-round win over the Islanders, was at the center of things in the big second period, which featured the first four goals in a 5:20 span.
Necas put Carolina ahead at 7:26 when Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler deflected a cross-ice pass by Pesce and it went to the Carolina forward alone in front.
Martinook, who has nine points in this series, had a hand in the final two goals. He had the secondary assist on Burns’ first of the postseason at 12:46.
Martinook closed out the five-goal spree by beating Schmid on a break at 19:36.
Vanecek allowed five goals on 17 shots.
Hughes got the Devils on the board at 1:55, tipping Timo Meier’s shot between Andersen’s pads for his sixth goal. Necas tied at 17:40 in close.
NOTES
AVALANCHE: Gabriel Landeskog may have sacrificed his injured right knee to hoist the Stanley Cup for the Colorado Avalanche. Now, he’s willing to take an extreme step to try to play hockey again.
Landeskog is set to undergo cartilage replacement surgery Wednesday, sidelining him for a second consecutive full NHL season and giving the longtime captain an uncertain path back. He has not contemplated retirement and is confident he’ll be able to resume his career after a third procedure on the knee in roughly 14 months.
“I just have to do what’s right for my health and really, ultimately, do what I can so I’m able to go out there and play with the guys and continue chasing more Stanley Cups,” Landeskog said on a Zoom call. “Is it going to be a long road? Yeah. But motivating factors are plenty.”
The 30-year-old Swede is motivated most by the desire to get back to hockey’s mountaintop. Landeskog has not played since the Cup clincher at Tampa Bay last June 26, the end of the franchise’s third title run that he was a big part of with 22 points in 20 games.
That masterful performance came after the first operation in March and was followed by another in October. In between, Landeskog played through chronic pain to win a championship.
“It says everything about Gabe: He’s a winner and he drives the emotional barometer of our team in so many ways,” Colorado GM Chris MacFarland said. “What he did last year and how he played and battled through something, I know that (is something) we’ll never forget.”
Landeskog was given the option of this surgery last fall but thought something less invasive could get him back on the ice. Initially projected to miss 12 weeks, he did not play all season and in April was ruled out for the playoffs.
In recent weeks he has spoken with Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls, who underwent knee cartilage replacement in March, picking the brain of the NBA player who has experienced a similarly tough journey through injury. That and research — the most studying he has done since high school — helped Landeskog reach this decision.
“It’s an injury that’s hard to rehab,” Landeskog said. “Once the injury is done and there’s enough damage in there, it’s sort of hard to patch the holes without going through this procedure at this time with the symptoms that I have and with what I’m experiencing.”
While not ruling out a return for the playoffs next year, Landeskog said it’s too early to put a timeframe on when he’ll return. In the meantime, the Avalanche must plan for life without Landeskog, which includes long-term injury relief for his $7 million salary cap hit but is not enough consolation for losing a player who has been captain since 2012 when he was 19 and has played 807 regular-season and playoff games for the team.
MEDIA: ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor John Anderson apologized to Zach Whitecloud, a First Nation member in Canada, after comparing the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman’s last name to toilet paper the previous night.
Whitecloud told reporters in Edmonton, Alberta, that he spoke with Anderson on Tuesday morning.
“I think it was an attempt at humor that came out as being obviously insensitive, and he acknowledges that,” Whitecloud said. “He understands that it was wrong to say. I wanted to make sure he knew that I accepted his apology. People make mistakes, and this is a scenario where not just John but everyone can learn from and move forward in a positive direction and try to be better for.”
Anderson’s comments came while narrating Whitecloud scoring in the Knights’ 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. Vegas leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday night in Edmonton.
“What kind of name is Whitecloud?” Anderson asked during the highlights. “A great name if you’re a toilet paper.”
Whitecloud is the first member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation to play in the NHL.
“This is totally on me and I sincerely apologize to Zach, the Golden Knights, their fans and everyone else for what I said,” Anderson said in a statement. “It’s my job to be prepared and know the backgrounds of the players and I blew it.”
While speaking to reporters, Whitecloud became emotional when talking about his background.
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