Win or go home. Time for the Canes to ‘lay it all on the line’ against the Lightning.

The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t in the mood for handshakes.

The Canes aren’t ready to have their Stanley Cup playoffs come to an end in Game 5 of their series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, not ready to line up, congratulate the winners and skate into the offseason. Nor are they naive or unrealistic about their situation.

The Canes trail 3-1 in the series. Game 5, which will have a 6:30 p.m. start Tuesday at PNC Arena, is an elimination game -- “elimination” always being a cruel but apt term. They’re facing the 2020 Stanley Cup champions.

This isn’t the Montreal Canadiens being in a 3-1 hole against the Toronto Maple Leafs but winning the series. Most would agree the Canes are facing a steeper climb, tougher task.

“All the games were really tight,” forward Martin Necas said Monday. “The first two (in Raleigh) were really tight, then we won one in OT and (Game 4) wasn’t smart by us. We were up 4-2 in the second (period) and we gave them some goals on the power play, which we know they are really good.

“We’ve got to win the next one, then focus on the next one. It’s a tight series. We still believe.”

It appears the Canes could have forward Nino Niederreiter in the lineup in Game 5 for the first time in the series. The forward, who gives the Canes more jam in the lineup, was injured in a practice session before the Tampa Bay series began but returned for practice Monday and appeared to be good to go.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said injured forwards Vincent Trocheck and Warren Foegele would “try” to play Tuesday -- neither was at practice Monday at PNC Arena.

Brind’Amour said no decision had been made on a starting goaltender, although Alex Nedeljkovic could get the nod.

Hurricanes need to keep penalties to a minimum

The Canes will want to keep it a 5-on-5 game as much as possible. The Lightning had six power plays in Game 4 and scored on the final three to fuel a 6-4 comeback win at Amalie Arena.

The Canes went into Game 4 emphasizing the need to stay out of the penalty box, then had seven penalties called -- the first on Foegele on the opening faceoff as he and Tampa Bay’s Blake Coleman jostled and drew matching penalties.

In the first four games, Tampa Bay generated 21 scoring chances on the power play -- nine in Game 4 -- to the Canes’ 13, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, a hockey analytics site. At even strength, the two teams are tied in overall scoring chances, although Tampa Bay has an edge in 5-on-5 chances.

“There are obviously things we need to do better but we’re getting our opportunities,” Brind’Amour said Monday of the 5-on-5 play. “That’s clearly not been the issue in our losses.”

Giving away the lead in Game 4 against the Bolts

Necas said the Canes were a “little upset” by giving up the lead and the way they lost Game 4, but that having Sunday as an off-day helped to rest and cleanse their minds. The Canes responded with a spirited practice Monday. The mood was anything but grim.

“It’s a little different because we’ve been playing every other day so far in the playoffs,” defenseman Dougie Hamilton said Monday of the off-day. “It’s a good chance for us to re-set, though, get away from hockey a little bit yesterday and get back into it today and have a little freshness and get excited for tomorrow and the opportunity ahead of us.

“As I’ve said before, we don’t quit. Our group doesn’t quit.”

Brind’Amour ended practice Monday by telling the players they would “lay it all on the line” in Game 5, whacking his stick on the ice for emphasis.

“There is no tomorrow,” Brind’Amour said later. “Everybody says it but this is it. You’ve got to lay it all on the line.”

Lightning at Hurricanes: Playoff series Game 5

When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday

Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh

Watch: NBCSN