NHL Playoffs 2023: Top Storylines for May 9 Schedule

The New Jersey Devils and Seattle Kraken come into Tuesday night off emphatic wins in their respective second-round series.

New Jersey put eight goals past the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, while the Kraken used a seven-goal outburst to down the Dallas Stars.

The big difference between the two teams is that the Devils are still down one game in their Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. New Jersey needs another strong home performance to level up with Carolina before the series heads back to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Seattle sits in a tremendous position with a 2-1 advantage over Dallas. The Stars need Miro Heiskanen, who left Game 3 early after taking a puck to the face, back in the lineup.

The Stars defense fell apart without Heiskanen on the ice. If he does not play or is less than 100 percent, they could have trouble dealing with Seattle's offense again.

May 9 Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

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SEATTLE, WA - MAY 07: Seattle Kraken right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (22) handles the puck during an NHL playoff game between the Dallas Stars and the Seattle Kraken on May 7, 2023 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Game 4: Carolina at New Jersey (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Game 4: Dallas at Seattle (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

How Does New Jersey Follow Up 8-Goal Performance?

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NEWARK, NJ - MAY 07: New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (96) celebrates after scoring a goal during Game 3 of an Eastern Conference Second Round playoff game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils on May 7, 2023, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

New Jersey announced its presence in its series with Carolina by scoring eight goals in its return home in Game 3.

The Devils needed the eight-goal outburst, which was powered by Jack Hughes' four points, to get back into the series after two losses in North Carolina. Tuesday's challenge is for the Devils to keep up that offensive momentum and leave the Prudential Center with a tied series.

No one should expect the Devils to put up eight goals in a second straight playoff contest. But if they can score four or five times, they will be in great shape.

The Devils can try to follow the Game 3 template to get ahead in Game 4. They scored three times in the first period and held a 4-0 advantage before Carolina found the back of the net.

Hughes and Timo Meier produced the opening two tallies on Sunday. They need to be active in the attacking zone from the start again to earn another lead after 20 minutes.

Carolina's Game 4 strategy is simple. The Hurricanes just have to get back to the winning defensive style of hockey they have played for most of the postseason.

The Hurricanes conceded only two goals across Games 1 and 2 combined. They have not allowed an opponent to score more than three times in any of their six playoff wins.

Carolina's main objective will be to slow down Hughes and Meier and not allow them to impact the contest on their first few shifts.

The visitors would love for few scoring chances to emerge in the opening 10 minutes, and to slow down Hughes and Meier so that they can play their style of game. But another fast start from the Devils would make the Hurricanes play from behind again, which could lead to a tied series.

Miro Heiskanen's Status for Dallas-Seattle Game 4

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SEATTLE, WA - MAY 07: Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) defends against Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) during an NHL playoff game between the Dallas Stars and the Seattle Kraken on May 7, 2023 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Stars head coach Peter Deboer declared Miko Heiskanen as "day-to-day" when talking about the defenseman's injury status on Monday, per The Athletic's Saad Yousuf.

Heiskanen left Game 3 after he took a puck to the face. He has a bad cut, but he did not suffer eye damage and did not suffer a head injury that would have put him in concussion protocol.

Seattle took full advantage of Heiskanen's absence, as it scored four times in the second period after he left the ice. The Kraken scored their first goal during the sequence in which Heiskanen went down with the injury.

The Kraken netted four goals in a six-minute-and-12-second span in the second frame. Dallas lacked any sort of answer for the home side.

The Stars need to have a better response in Game 4 if Heiskanen does not play or is limited by the injury.

Heiskanen is a towering presence on the blue line and in front of the net. He was able to disrupt many Kraken surges into the attacking zone during Games 1 and 2.

If Heiskanen is not on the ice, Seattle should try to put the Dallas defense under pressure right away to see if it can respond in a different manner than Game 3. If not, the Kraken could run away with the victory and go up 3-1 in the series.

Dallas needs a strong start with or without its top defenseman. Don't be surprised if Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski are the catalysts of that. The two skaters have combined for 24 shots on goal in the series.