from Luke DeCock of the News & Observer,
One of the goal lights at Prudential Center kept turning itself on and off in irregular spasms Monday, the one behind the net Antti Raanta was manning. Electronic hangover from Sunday? Omen for Tuesday? Merely a weird annoyance?
Those are all questions the Carolina Hurricanes would prefer to contemplate than the state of their goaltending situation, which went from no-lose to a no-answers in the space of a few days on either side of Sunday’s 8-4 Schlock at the Rock.
Frederik Andersen, making his fourth straight start for the first time all year, wasn’t able to capture the momentum from his first three playoff appearances, getting caught up in the steamroll as the Devils piled it on.
Pyotr Kochetkov, in relief of Andersen only 53 seconds into the second period, having not played an NHL game in six weeks or an AHL game in four, had the opportunity to be an unlikely hero coming in down 4-0 but didn’t end up making any case to start Game 4 on Tuesday.
Which leaves Raanta, who was an unexpected scratch from Game 2 with an illness, didn’t dress for Game 3 on Sunday and returned to the ice for practice Monday. Raanta was first off the ice, usually the sign of the next game’s starter, but Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour was noncommittal whether Raanta would even play.
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