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Hurricanes lean on star Slavin with defense depleted for Game 5 vs. Panthers
| Florida Panthers | |
| Carolina Hurricanes | |
| TNT | Wednesday, May 28th 8:00 PM EDT | |
Facing elimination and the absence of two top-six defensemen once again, the Carolina Hurricanes will turn to their all-world defenseman Jacob Slavin to soak up additional minutes.
Slavin played 28 minutes in Carolina’s 3-0 Game 4 victory against the Florida Panthers as the Huricanes staved off elimination. The 28 minutes are about 6:30 more than he averaged during the regular season. They are the most in a regulation game this postseason.
Slavin will carry a heavy minutes load in Game 5 as well.
“If he could play all of them, we would, and he’d want to, too,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We know the situation. We have to. We don’t have a choice. It’s a good choice to have. If he can handle the minutes, he’s going to be out there.”
Carolina will be without defensemen Jalen Chatfield (lower body injury) and Sean Walker (undisclosed) for Wednesday’s Game 5 in Raleigh. Florida leads the series 3-1.
Slavin was on the ice for all three Carolina goals in Game 4. He is plus-3 in a series that Florida has outscored the Hurricanes 16-7, futher cementing his reputation as one of the best, if not the best, defensemen in the game. He earned high praise for his work with Team USA during the Four Nations Face-Off in February.
“Anybody would say the more they play, the more they get in the game,” Slavin said Wednesday. “I don’t mind those minutes at all. It’s fun.”
Without Chatfield and Walker, rookies Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow will be in the lineup again. Nikishin, a top prospect from Russia, made his NHL debut in the playoffs. Nikishin has made noticeable progress over the course of three games.
“He’s picked it up,” Brind’Amour said. “Considering the language and the barrier there, he’s picked up most of the stuff that he’s had to. There’s still a huge learning curve. I don’t wnat to tell you where because there’s still a lot of areas where he’s unsure. But it is a pleasant surprise, I think. Against this team, this time of year, he’s done very, very well.”
Brind’Amour told WRAL in a pregame interview that the team has asked a lot of Nikishin, throwing him out there to play top-four minutes.
Florida is getting healthier entering Game 5. The Panthers are expected to have Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer, all of whom missed Game 4 with injuries, back. Reinhart, who has 11 points in 14 games this postseason, has been out since Game 2.
But Brind’Amour told WRAL that the 6-foot-5 Mikkola might present the biggest challenges for the Hurricanes.
“He’s so big,” Brind’Amour said. “He takes up so much room back there. It’s hard to get to the net when he’s out there.”
Series schedule
Game 4: Carolina 3, Florida 0 (Florida leads series 3-1)
Game 5: at Carolina, Wednesday, May 28, 8 p.m. (TNT, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 6: at Florida (if necessary), Friday, May 30, 8 p.m. (TNT, 99.9 The Fan)
Game 7: at Carolina (if necessary), Sunday, June 1, 8 p.m. (TNT, 99.9 The Fan)
After each playoff game, WRAL’s Chris Lea and Pat Welter will break down the biggest moments with insider analysis from former NHL pro Shane Willis. Tune into WRAL at 11:25 p.m. for postgame coverage.