It was not as much a stumble as it was a crash on the piers and rocks of the Hudson River on Sunday.
The Carolina Hurricanes dropped an 8-4 decision to the New Jersey Devils in Game 3, to have their lead in the series cut to 2-1.
Timo Meier, Jack Hughes, and Michael McLeod (shorthanded) scored in the first period as New Jersey took a 3-0 lead headed to the second period.
Nico Hischier scored 53 seconds into the middle frame to push the lead to 4-0.
Sebastian Aho finally got the Hurricanes on the board to tri, the deficit to 4-1, but Damon Severson scored at 5:33 to make it 5-1.
“We were no good,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I don’t know what else to tell you. I’ve never seen us play like that. But I give the credit to the other team. They were on it. They were dialed in.”
Jordan Martinook hit for a shorthanded goal at 12:18 to make it 5-2 coming out of the middle frame.
Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves in the win.
Game 4 is in Newark on Tuesday.
The third period was much better for the Canes as Mike Wood and Hughes scored to make the score 7-2.
Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis scored shorthanded goals on the same New Jersey power play to trim the deficit to 7-4, but it was too little too late.
“We talked about it, we knew they were coming,” Staal said. “We looked surprised. We shouldn’t have been. Everyone was just a little off. Sloppy with the puck, slow on our skates, slow on our forecheck, just a couple inches off here and there.
“Give them credit, they battled hard and they won all the puck battles, especially early. They played a little freer once they were up, and that’s their style and their game that we don’t want to play.”
Ondrej Palat scored off a power play at 10:47 for the 8-4 final.
Frederik Andersen got the start for the Canes and made eight saves on 12 shots, He was given the hook after yielding the fourth goal in the fist minute of the second period.
Pyotr Kochetkov made saves in relief.
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