New Jersey Devils’ Season Ends After Double Overtime Loss in Game 5 to Hurricanes

The New Jersey Devils were eliminated from the playoffs after losing 5–4 in double overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5. The game took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it ended the Devils’ season in the first round.

The Devils had a strong start, scoring three goals in the first ten minutes. First, at 3:46 of the opening period, Brett Pesce took a shot from the point that hit off Dawson Mercer and went in. This made it 1–0. Then, at 5:40, Timo Meier beat Pyotr Kochetkov with a wrist shot through the legs to make it 2–0. After that, Carolina went on the power play, but the Devils killed it off. Right after, at 9:47, Simon Nemec took a shot from the point, and Stefan Noesen tipped it in for a 3–0 Devils lead.

At the end of the first period, Carolina had a power play due to an interference penalty on Cody Glass with 15 seconds remaining, which carried into the second period. Though the Devils killed the penalty, they couldn’t regain puck control. Carolina stayed in the zone, and Taylor Hall scored at 1:06 to make it 3–1.

From there, Carolina took over. At 3:47, Jackson Blake scored from a bad angle after a loose puck was recovered by Mark Jankowski. Then, at 5:40, Andrei Svechnikov scored his fifth goal of the series to tie the game 3–3, which was part of a three-goal burst by Carolina in 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

The Devils regained the lead at 7:59 of the second. Paul Cotter won a puck battle and passed to Nico Hischier, who scored from the right circle to make it 4–3. But later in the period, both Tomas Tatar and Erik Haula took penalties, putting Carolina on a 5-on-3. At 17:48, Sebastian Aho scored on a one-timer to tie the game again. Carolina stayed on the power play for another 1:04, but the Devils killed the rest. The second period ended 4–4.

In the third period, both teams had chances, but no goals. The Devils had two power plays, but they did not score. Their power play finished the series 0-for-15, while Carolina’s was 6-for-19. Carolina had the top-ranked penalty kill in the regular season, and they controlled the special teams battle. This difference was one of the reasons the Devils lost the series.

Goalie Jacob Markstrom helped keep the Devils alive. After giving up three goals in the second period, he made 30 straight saves. In the first overtime, Carolina outshot New Jersey 14–3. Logan Stankoven had a great chance in the final minute of the first overtime, but Markstrom made a highlight save to keep the game going.

However, in the second overtime, just over one minute in, Dawson Mercer was called for high-sticking Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The stick drew blood, which made it a four-minute double minor. Carolina needed just over three minutes to score. At 3:14 of double overtime, Aho scored his second of the night on the power play––a goal that ended the game and the series.

Markstrom finished with 48 saves on 53 shots, including 12 of 14 while shorthanded. New Jersey was outshot 53–34 in the game.

This was Carolina’s eighth time winning a playoff series in overtime in franchise history, including when they were the Hartford Whalers. The last time they did it was also in Game 5 against New Jersey, two years ago. This was also only the second time in franchise history that Carolina won a game in multiple overtimes. Their only other double overtime win was in 2019 against Washington in Game 7.

The Devils dealt with major injury problems, especially on defense. Before the series started, Jonas Siegenthaler was out. Then, in Game 1, both Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon were injured. Siegenthaler returned in Game 3 but wasn’t fully healthy. In that same game, Johnny Kovacevic left after the first period and did not return for the rest of the series. That left head coach Sheldon Keefe with few options on the blue line. Brett Pesce, also not at full strength, was a game-time decision for Game 5 but played.

The defense group for Game 5 included Simon Nemec, Dennis Cholowski, Seamus Casey, Colton White, Dougie Hamilton, and Brian Dumoulin. Casey played just 9:13 in the game, mostly on the power play. This group had very little combined NHL experience this season, especially without Pesce and Siegenthaler.

Nonetheless, the Devils played well at even strength. Over the five-game series, they outscored Carolina 11–9 in 5-on-5 play. However, on special teams, they were outscored 7–0, including one shorthanded goal allowed.

Another issue was the lack of production from the bottom six forwards. Noesen’s goal in Game 5 was the first point by a bottom-six player in the entire series. The lack of depth scoring was a serious problem.

Officiating was also a topic of frustration. Many of the Devils’ penalties were viewed as questionable, especially the late-first-period call on Glass and the second-period tripping call on Tatar. Meanwhile, Carolina seemed to get away with similar infractions. Still, the Devils’ inability to convert on their own power plays hurt them more than any whistle.

After Game 1, which the Devils lost badly, they played competitively in every game. They pushed Carolina hard despite being down several defensemen and getting no help from the power play or bottom-six forwards. Their effort in Game 5 was their best of the series, but they still fell short.

Now, their season is over. The team must use the offseason to fix several problems. They need to improve their special teams, strengthen their defensive depth, and get more from the bottom of the lineup. Injuries are part of hockey, but New Jersey’s situation on defense during this series was extreme.