To the Brink | COLUMN

Head coach Lindy Ruff had one message to his team.

"Win one game."

It's either that or the Devils' season will be over.

New Jersey has been pushed the precipice of elimination following a 6-1 loss in Game 4 to the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night at Prudential Center to fall behind in its Second Round series by a 3-1 mark.

"There's no time for feeling sorry for ourselves," captain Nico Hischier said. "We have to regroup fast. We have to go to Raleigh again and play a really important game there."

That would be Game 5 at PNC Arena on Thursday night. The Devils entire season comes down to one game.

"We have a challenge ahead of us to climb back into this thing," defenseman Damon Severson said. "We're going to hop on a plane and head to Carolina and do anything we can to win a hockey game there because we know it's not going to be easy.

"We have our backs against the wall. There's only one way out of it. We have to climb out it ourselves. No one is going to do it for us."

So, how did the Devils end up in this precarious situation? It came down to their efforts in Game 4.

"That was hard to explain. That's about as poorly we've skated and supported the puck in any game this year," Ruff said after the loss. "We didn't skate. We didn't support. Our defense didn't move their feet trying to leave the zone, all the things we did so well in the previous game."

The previous game was an 8-4 victory for the Devils. But that result was flipped Tuesday night.

There's only one stat you need to look at to understand why the Hurricanes were so dominant in the contest and take that 3-1 series lead back to Raleigh.

Giveaways.

The Devils committed 26. The Hurricanes? 2.

More telling, after two periods the Devils had 19, while the Hurricanes had one.

That's how Carolina built a 6-1 lead through 40 minutes.

"That's from standing still trying to move pucks," Ruff said of the giveaways. "We're making east-west plays. We're not going north. We're not supporting. It's as simple as that."

The Hurricanes played a perfect "playoff game." That being tight checking, smart puck management, disciplined, patient and a smothering defense.

The Hurricanes just waited for the Devils to give up the puck and then they pounced with their transition game. Carolina took advantage of its opportunities, scoring six goals on the first 19 shots.

The Hurricanes scored five of those goals in the second period, tying for the most allowed by the Devils in the franchise's postseason history (May 6, 1988, vs. Boston). Four of those goals came in a 5:20-minute span.

"It took the wind out of our sails. It's not a lot of fun to go down like that," Severson said. "We couldn't find a way to claw back."

The Devils got the start they wanted. Jack Hughes sored two minutes into the game when a Timo Meier shot glanced off his shin pad and between the legs of goaltender Frederik Andersen.

Minutes later, Andersen, who was pulled in Game 3 after allowing four goals on 12 shots, blockered away a shot right into the slot. He was looking frantic and shaky, giving up big rebounds in the early minutes.

But instead of peppering him with shots and testing him, the Devils tried to make fancy plays and started turning the puck over.

It was the kiss of death.

Now the Devils look ahead to Game 5.

A lot of talk heading into Thursday's game will pertain to which goaltender will be the starter. But in the Devils three losses this series - by a combined 17-3 - the goaltending (Akira Schmid in Games 1 and 2 and Vitek Vanecek in Game 4) was less an issue than a byproduct of the play of the 18 guys in front.

"We have to help them," Severson said. "Point-blank opportunities, we gave up some from the slot tonight. We can't expect our goalies to make saves from dead center of the ice looking straight at him."

If the Devils don't clean up their puck management, it won't matter who is in goal.

"When you look at how we played, look at what we gave up, I don't think we should point the finger at the goaltender," Ruff said. "I think there are a lot of other places we should look."

The Devils will look to correct those mistakes quickly. Their Game 5 showdown is less than 48 hours away. New Jersey has one shot to keep its season alive.

"You've got to move forward," Ruff said. "We have to play the best game of the year."