The Devils’ captain is coming back to help prevent Carolina from doing that on them.
Sources have told The Post that Jamie Langenbrunner is expected to rejoin the Devils in practice today and plans to return to the lineup to help try to eliminate the Hurricanes tomorrow night in Raleigh, N.C.
Langenbrunner has been idled since Game 2 of this first-round series with a knee injury, but is expected to return to action with the Devils holding 3-2 series lead.
Though Langenbrunner could sit out tomorrow, and hope that the Devils finish their series, giving him extra time to rehabilitate his knee, scuttlebutt says he’s nearly certain to play.
A sense of urgency to clinch this series — and avoid Game 7 Tuesday in Newark — likely is prompting Langenbrunner to come back.
“Every time you face a do-or-die game, you never know what happens,” said Martin Brodeur, who tied the all-time playoff shutout record with his 23rd in Thursday’s 1-0 thriller in Newark.
The teams have alternated victories — the Devils taking three series leads, the Hurricanes squaring matters twice.
“It seems like the losing team has a little extra motivation. We’re looking to stop that trend,” Brodeur said. “We feel pretty good about our game, and I’m sure they do, too. It’s probably another game that’s going to come down to the last couple of minutes.”
The Devils have held a 3-2 lead 15 times, but finished off their foes in Game 6 only seven times, completing the task in Game 7 four times, and losing the final two games four times — the 2001 finals vs. Colorado, 1999 and ’91 to Pittsburgh, and ’94 to the Rangers.
Lose Game 6 and it’s 50-50 that they advance.
“We have a chance to put them away. We don’t want to give them two whacks at it,” Colin White said.
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Parise was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy, along with Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk and Tampa’s Martin St. Louis. . . . Brodeur said the right ankle cut he suffered from Larose’s skate in Game 4 is a little sore, but not a problem. . . . Bryce Salvador is less likely to return tomorrow from his Game 4 knee. .