The Carolina Hurricanes now hold a 2-0 lead over the New Jersey Devils in their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. After a dominant win in Game 1, Carolina followed up with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Carolina entered this series after clinching its seventh straight playoff appearance on April 3 with a home win against the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan Division and came into the postseason looking to reset after losing seven of their last eight regular-season games.
In Game 1 on Sunday, the Hurricanes controlled the pace from the start. Jalen Chatfield opened the scoring early in the first period. Logan Stankoven, acquired at the trade deadline and playing in his first playoff game, scored twice in the second period. His first goal came off a pass from Jordan Martinook, who forced a turnover along the boards. Later in the same period, Stankoven scored again during a power play. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal in the third period. Carolina outshot New Jersey 45 to 24 and won the game 4-1.
Frederik Andersen made 23 saves in Game 1, including a key stop on Timo Meier in front of the crease in the third period. The Devils’ only goal came during a 4-on-4 situation when Nico Hischier scored off a pass from Jesper Bratt.
However, Game 2 was much closer. The Devils came out stronger and controlled possession early. Jesper Bratt scored the first goal of the night at 3:51 of the first period, giving New Jersey its first lead of the series. At that point, the Devils had a 7-1 shot advantage in the opening eight minutes.
But Carolina responded in the second period. Shayne Gostisbehere scored at 2:57 after picking up his own rebound and beating Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom. Just 2 minutes and 57 seconds later, Jordan Martinook scored a shorthanded goal. He received a pass from Dmitry Orlov in the neutral zone and fired a shot from the left circle, giving Carolina a 2-1 lead.
Frederik Andersen again played a key role, stopping 25 shots and keeping New Jersey from scoring for the final 56 minutes of the game. One of his most important saves came late in the third period when he denied Nathan Bastian from close range. Seth Jarvis sealed the win with an empty-net breakaway goal with 37 seconds left.
Martinook finished with a goal and an assist. He now has 13 points in seven career playoff games against the Devils. Gostisbehere and Jarvis also scored, while Andersen stood strong in the net. Markstrom also made 25 saves for the Devils.
New Jersey was missing several players due to injuries. Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler were already out before Game 1. During Game 1, defensemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon also left due to injuries. As a result, Simon Nemec and Dennis Cholowski made their Stanley Cup playoff debut in Game 2. Nemec played at 13:15, and Cholowski at 8:35.
The Devils leaned heavily on their top four defensemen. Dougie Hamilton played at 23:59, Brian Dumoulin at 23:48, Brett Pesce at 23:14, and Johnathan Kovacevic at 19:54. Pesce, a former Hurricane, stood out with six blocked shots and three unofficial saves. In one sequence, he cleared a puck off the goal line and blocked a follow-up shot while lying on the ice.
Despite the loss, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said the team responded well after Game 1. He pointed to the strong start and consistent effort throughout Game 2 as signs of improvement. Jesper Bratt echoed that feeling, saying the team found a style of play that works and needs to keep using it.
Game 2 clearly showed the Devils can compete. The shot totals were close—Carolina finished with 28, New Jersey with 26. The Devils now face the challenge of climbing out of a 2-0 series deficit, but they’ve done it before. In the 2023 playoffs, New Jersey lost its first two games to the New York Rangers and came back to win that series in seven.
Carolina has the advantage in both play and momentum. They’ve now won 12 of their last 15 playoff series that started at home, going back to 2002. Their all-time postseason record at Lenovo Center is now 45-26.
The remaining schedule includes Game 5, which will be played on Tuesday, April 29, at the Lenovo Center. Game 6 will take place in New Jersey on Friday, May 2, and Game 7, if necessary, will return to Raleigh on Sunday, May 4.
Hurricanes Beat New Jersey Devils Again with Momentum and a 2-0 Series Lead
The Carolina Hurricanes now hold a 2-0 lead over the New Jersey Devils in their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. After a dominant win in Game 1, Carolina followed up with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Carolina entered this series after clinching its seventh straight playoff appearance on April 3 with a home win against the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan Division and came into the postseason looking to reset after losing seven of their last eight regular-season games.
In Game 1 on Sunday, the Hurricanes controlled the pace from the start. Jalen Chatfield opened the scoring early in the first period. Logan Stankoven, acquired at the trade deadline and playing in his first playoff game, scored twice in the second period. His first goal came off a pass from Jordan Martinook, who forced a turnover along the boards. Later in the same period, Stankoven scored again during a power play. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal in the third period. Carolina outshot New Jersey 45 to 24 and won the game 4-1.
Frederik Andersen made 23 saves in Game 1, including a key stop on Timo Meier in front of the crease in the third period. The Devils’ only goal came during a 4-on-4 situation when Nico Hischier scored off a pass from Jesper Bratt.
However, Game 2 was much closer. The Devils came out stronger and controlled possession early. Jesper Bratt scored the first goal of the night at 3:51 of the first period, giving New Jersey its first lead of the series. At that point, the Devils had a 7-1 shot advantage in the opening eight minutes.
But Carolina responded in the second period. Shayne Gostisbehere scored at 2:57 after picking up his own rebound and beating Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom. Just 2 minutes and 57 seconds later, Jordan Martinook scored a shorthanded goal. He received a pass from Dmitry Orlov in the neutral zone and fired a shot from the left circle, giving Carolina a 2-1 lead.
Frederik Andersen again played a key role, stopping 25 shots and keeping New Jersey from scoring for the final 56 minutes of the game. One of his most important saves came late in the third period when he denied Nathan Bastian from close range. Seth Jarvis sealed the win with an empty-net breakaway goal with 37 seconds left.
Martinook finished with a goal and an assist. He now has 13 points in seven career playoff games against the Devils. Gostisbehere and Jarvis also scored, while Andersen stood strong in the net. Markstrom also made 25 saves for the Devils.
New Jersey was missing several players due to injuries. Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler were already out before Game 1. During Game 1, defensemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon also left due to injuries. As a result, Simon Nemec and Dennis Cholowski made their Stanley Cup playoff debut in Game 2. Nemec played at 13:15, and Cholowski at 8:35.
The Devils leaned heavily on their top four defensemen. Dougie Hamilton played at 23:59, Brian Dumoulin at 23:48, Brett Pesce at 23:14, and Johnathan Kovacevic at 19:54. Pesce, a former Hurricane, stood out with six blocked shots and three unofficial saves. In one sequence, he cleared a puck off the goal line and blocked a follow-up shot while lying on the ice.
Despite the loss, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said the team responded well after Game 1. He pointed to the strong start and consistent effort throughout Game 2 as signs of improvement. Jesper Bratt echoed that feeling, saying the team found a style of play that works and needs to keep using it.
Game 2 clearly showed the Devils can compete. The shot totals were close—Carolina finished with 28, New Jersey with 26. The Devils now face the challenge of climbing out of a 2-0 series deficit, but they’ve done it before. In the 2023 playoffs, New Jersey lost its first two games to the New York Rangers and came back to win that series in seven.
Carolina has the advantage in both play and momentum. They’ve now won 12 of their last 15 playoff series that started at home, going back to 2002. Their all-time postseason record at Lenovo Center is now 45-26.
The remaining schedule includes Game 5, which will be played on Tuesday, April 29, at the Lenovo Center. Game 6 will take place in New Jersey on Friday, May 2, and Game 7, if necessary, will return to Raleigh on Sunday, May 4.
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