Simon Nemec’s 2OT Magic Revives New Jersey Devils in Longest Game at Prudential Center

On Friday night at Prudential Center in Newark, the New Jersey Devils earned a 3-2 double-overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Simon Nemec, the 21-year-old defenseman playing just his second playoff game, scored the game-winning goal at 2:36 of the second overtime.

Nemec’s goal came after he carried the puck past the blue line, skated between Jack Roslovic and Shayne Gostisbehere, and shot from the right face-off circle. The puck deflected under Frederik Andersen’s blocker and into the net, which was Nemec’s first career playoff goal. By scoring, Nemec became the second-youngest defenseman in NHL history to net an overtime goal in the playoffs, behind Andrei Zyuzin, who did so at age 20 years, 97 days in 1998.

In the first period, New Jersey took a 1-0 lead when Nico Hischier scored at 16:11. Hischier received a pass from Timo Meier, who was positioned along the right boards, and finished the play from close range. Despite Carolina’s pushback in the second period, Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom kept the score 1-0 with key saves, including a left-toe stop on Sebastian Aho during a shorthanded break at 2:25. Andersen, on the other side, made a standout glove save on Meier at 13:56 of the second to keep Carolina within one goal.

Early in the third period, the Devils increased their lead. At 1:18, Dawson Mercer scored a wraparound goal after Jesper Bratt created a rebound by cutting to the net from the left circle. New Jersey appeared to take full control, but Carolina responded quickly.

At 6:11, Seth Jarvis scored on a power play, cutting the Devils’ lead to 2-1.Jarvis’s goal came after Jonas Siegenthaler was penalized for interference against Jordan Martinook. Then, at 12:20, Aho tied the game at 2-2 with another power-play goal. After a rebound by Andrei Svechnikov, Aho capitalized with Markstrom out of position.

The Devils struggled on the power play, going 0-for-5 in the game and 0-for-10 in the series. Carolina’s penalty kill was perfect, including two successful kills during overtime. That said, New Jersey controlled play after regulation, outshooting the Hurricanes 12-3 in overtime periods.

It’s no secret that New Jersey faced serious adversity during the game. Defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic left in the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return. The Devils already missed Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes due to injuries sustained earlier in the series. Consequently, the Devils played most of the game with just five defensemen.

Brian Dumoulin stepped up, leading all skaters with 36:24 of ice time. He finished with a plus-2 rating, four hits, and five blocked shots. Siegenthaler, returning after a lower-body injury that had kept him out since February 4, logged 27:09, recorded five hits, and blocked three shots.

Markstrom made 25 saves on 27 shots, securing his first playoff win of 2025. Andersen finished with 34 saves for the Hurricanes.

Carolina had a poor record in multi-overtime playoff games coming into the night, and it continued with the loss, falling to 1-11 all-time in such contests. Meanwhile, the Devils’ resilience throughout the game highlighted their growth under head coach Sheldon Keefe. After the win, Keefe emphasized how impressed he was by his team’s effort, especially given the circumstances.

Even though they had their struggles, the Devils’ key players delivered when needed. Hischier, Meier, and Jesper Bratt all collected points. Fourth-liners like Justin Dowling contributed by sustaining offensive pressure, while veterans like Tomas Tatar, who played 11:07, remained active during overtime. Every player had a role in keeping the Devils’ season alive.

The Hurricanes, though still leading the series, showed vulnerabilities. Over their past ten games, they have gone 3-5-2, scoring 29 goals but conceding 34. The Devils, with a 4-6-0 record in their last ten, have scored 22 goals and allowed 28. Entering Game 4, Carolina remains the favorite with -179 odds, implying a 64.2% chance of winning, while the Devils are underdogs at +149 odds, with a 40.2% implied chance.

The series now continues with renewed energy. After Friday’s win, the Devils proved they can compete with Carolina even when short-handed.