3 least impressive players from New Jersey Devils' 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes feat. Jacob Markstrom

The New Jersey Devils dropped Game 4 of their first-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at Prudential Center.

After a dramatic 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 3 on Friday night, the Devils had hopes of tying the series up at two in front of their home fans. Unfortunately, they were unable to recover from a slow start against the Hurricanes.

It took just 52 seconds for Carolina to break the ice as Andrei Svechnikov's long-distance shot found its way through traffic and past Jacob Markstrom. Later in the period, Jaccob Slavin picked off a Stefan Noesen clearing attempt and roofed a sharp-angle shot to make it a 2-0 Hurricanes lead. New Jersey struggled to get anything going and was limited to four shots in the opening frame.

The Devils didn't start any better in the second. It was once again Andrei Svechnikov scoring an early-period goal, this time tipping in a back-door pass from Seth Jarvis on the power play.

Thankfully, New Jersey got a much-needed response from their captain. Nico Hischier finished off a nice move out front to cut the deficit down to two just 2:02 later.

They carried that momentum as the crowd became engaged, and five minutes later, Timo Meier spun a shot five-hole, making it 3-2. Both teams continued to get their chances, but the score remained 3-2 after two periods of play.

New Jersey came out desperate in the third period, seeking the equalizer. Despite their efforts, the Devils were stymied by Carolina's stingy defensive structure. The bubble would eventually burst when Brent Burns took advantage of a Jacob Markstrom turnover, firing a puck that Jordan Martinook tipped into the net.

Andrei Svechnikov would then add an empty net goal for the hat trick to seal the deal. The New Jersey Devils lost 5-2 on home ice to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4.

NHL: Hurricanes celebrate Andrei Svechnikov goal - Source: Imagn

The New Jersey Devils will have their season on the line in Game 5 of their first-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center.

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3 least impressive players from the New Jersey Devils' 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes

#1. Jacob Markstrom

Jacob Markstrom was off from the start on Sunday afternoon. The veteran goaltender allowed four goals on 29 shots in defeat.

While the overall numbers aren't terrible, it was the time and quality of goals Markstrom allowed. Three of the four goals were stoppable, and it just wasn't good enough in a must-win Game 4.

#2. Dougie Hamilton

The Devils' number one defenseman struggled in Game 4. Dougie Hamilton was held off the scoresheet and was a -3 rating in his 22:31 minutes of ice time.

Hamilton was on the ice for several goals against and took two minor penalties. One of those was costly, as Andrei Svechnikov scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal while Hamilton was in the box.

#3. Stefan Noesen

Stefan Noesen had a tough Game 4. The veteran winger was pointless and had a -2 rating in just 13:52 minutes played.

His failure to clear the zone in the first period directly resulted in a Jaccob Slavin goal. New Jersey really needs some depth scoring from a player like Noesen with Jack and Luke Hughes out of the lineup.