News Hurricanes Team Notes

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Capitals - Preview and Game Thread

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Canes look for first win of this road trip tonight

The Carolina Hurricanes (46-27-4) are in our nation’s capital to take on the Washington Capitals (49-19-9) tonight with game time at 7:30 P.M. The game is televised by ESPN+, Hulu, and other related options.

The Canes are riding a three game losing streak, all on the road. They are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.

All the drama over Ovechkin breaking the record is over, so it will be interesting to see the Caps play without this taking the spotlight. Although, there will be another ceremony for the sniper before the game tonight.

The Caps are on a bit of a bender as well. They lost their last game against the Islanders and they are 5-4-1 in their last 10.

The last time these teams met, there were eight game misconducts handed out as well as 140 plus minutes of penalties.

With the Hurricanes leading 5-1, it doesn’t seem likely that they would be the instigators in the melee late in the game. Regardless, there has been a lot of big talk by the Caps, especially regarding the take down by Jalen Chatfield in his fight with Connor McMichael.

Chatfield was criticized by the Caps and by many in the media for his take down, but Chatfield is not known as a “dirty” player and this was the first fight he had been involved with since 2022.

https://www.hockeyfights.com/players/21800

Recently, Rod Brind’Amour was asked by Ryan Henkel about the controversary and the outspoken coach called the media, “morons”.

“The media’s the one that (made drama out of) it, and they’re morons, typically,” Brind’Amour told reporters. “If you’re going to say what happened at the end was anything more than what I’ve seen a thousand times before, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Go look at the game exactly before.”

I asked Rod Brind'Amour if he felt there would be any carryover into Thursday's rematch with Washington after all the drama around Jalen Chatfield: "The media was the one who made drama out of it and they're morons, typically."

"If you're going to say what happened at the end…

— Ryan Henkel (@RyanHenkel_) April 7, 2025​

Even though there were no injuries on the play, the Caps might be seeking retribution tonight. Tom Wilson, who is not exactly known as a “choir boy”, will be worth following closely.

Frederick Andersen should be in net for Carolina, according to the typical goalie rotation.

The lineups will be announced in the comments later.

Team’s Preview-

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-april-10-at-washington

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/10/24405442/hurricanes-capitals-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Capitals 5, Hurricanes 4 - SO

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 10: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals scores na goal in the second period during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. | Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images

Canes lose fourth in a row, this time in a shootout

This was a game of ups and downs as the Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to a dominating 2-0 lead in the first period, only to fall behind in the second, as they went on to lose to the Washington Capitals, 5-4 in a shootout at the Capital One Arena.

After a long ceremony for Alex Ovechkin, the Caps were a step behind as the Canes outshot them and outscored them, 2-0.

Pierre Luc Dubois would make it 2-1 before the end of the period and then the Caps came on strong in the second.

In that second period, the Caps came storming back to score three goals and they took a 4-2 lead.

The Canes never quit though and they scored twice in the third to tie the game, one on a Martinook shot and another by Seth Jarvis, as he knocked an Ovechkin shot at an open net out of the air to set up the play with just a minute and change left.

After a scoreless overtime, in which Brent Burns was called for tripping on a questionable call, the contest went to a shootout, which the Canes have yet to win this season.

Brind’Amour went with Blake, Svechnikov and Walker, none of whom came close to scoring.

Dubois scored the game-winner for Washington.

There were no fireworks in this game like the previous one, although Jalen Chatfield had to answer the call for his criticized take down in his last fight.

Apparently, PK Subban was one of the “morons” Brind’Amour talked about concerning the media who made a big deal about the previous Chatfield take down. During the ESPN+ telecast, he said he thought there should have been a suspension.

He also ranked Carolina number eight, out of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs. He predicted a first round exit and a loss to the Devils.

By the way, the point earned tonight gave the Canes the home ice advantage against the Devils in their first round matchup.

The Hurricanes have played poorly recently but the Devils have not been lighting anything up either. Hopefully, this will be bulletin board material for Carolina.

After losing all four games on their road trip, the team returns home for a game against the Rangers on Saturday night.

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS021252.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES021252.HTM

Team Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-canes-pick-up-point-against-caps

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/11/24405974/capitals-5-hurricanes-4-so

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Alexander Nikishin headed to Hurricanes

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

The moment the Canes have been readying for is finally at hand

***Update—The Canes have made this all official

BRINGING THE BOOM TO RALEIGH!!!

The #Canes have signed defenseman Alexander Nikishin to a two-year, entry-level contract

Details » https://t.co/JRuEVBIma9 pic.twitter.com/MJTh3qR30l

— x - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 11, 2025​

---

Alexander Nikishin, the star Russian defensman that the Carolina Hurricanes snagged in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft, looks to be headed to the United States and play with the team that drafted him.

His contact wasn’t due to expire with his KHL club SKA St. Petersburg until May 31, but SKA was ousted in the KHL playoffs and so discussions began between the club and the Hurricanes to go ahead and get him stateside. Overnight, SKA made it official that they and Nikishin had mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

Good luck, captain!

SKA Hockey Club and Alexander Nikishin have mutually terminated his contract, with the defenseman joining the Carolina Hurricanes.

His KHL rights remain with SKA. pic.twitter.com/jjgNPpJDkO

— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) April 11, 2025​

If you’re any sort of fan of the team, you’re aware just how huge this news is. Within the first year of his drafting it was clear the Hurricanes had gotten a steal in the big Russian defenseman. If you follow Canes Prospects on Twitter/X you’ve been flooded with highlights as the defenseman quickly became a star and the captain of SKA. One post isn’t going to do him justice—you should probably go to his timeline to get a better timeline—but just to have an idea of how strong he is:

Alexander Nikishin after 6 seasons in the KHL:

- 323 games (including playoffs)
- 62 goals
- 130 assists
- 192 points

Holds the SKA records for Most goals, assists, and points by a defenseman. One of the best defenseman the KHL has seen in years pic.twitter.com/HpGAjao8Lk

— Canes Prospects (@CanesProspects) April 11, 2025​

It’s been clear for a while that the Hurricanes were building their defense with him and Scott Morrow in mind to play for the team long term as both Dmitry Orlov’s and Brent Burns’ contracts are due to expire after this season. Now the question becomes when the Canes will be able to get Nikishin to the US in order to start acclimating him to the NHL and the Canes’ style of hockey.

As rumblings had increased that the Canes were close to getting Nikishin signed—helped by a post from GM Eric Tulsky that was just an airplane emoji—internet sleuths were discerning just how long it may take to get him over to the US. A familiar one used her connection at work to explain just how cumbersome the process is now to get a US Visa if you’re a Russian Citizen right now.

I work with a woman from Moscow who recently got her US citizenship. Also a hockey fan! She tells me that with the US Embassy in Russia closed, all visa applications must be made in person at a US Embassy in another country. Istanbul, Tukiye is apparently the 1st choice these days. 1/3

— x - Carolyn O (@hmof2.bsky.social) 2025-04-10T17:35:16.061Z

Also, Tom Edwards of OG Media went into what to look for contract wise and why both the Canes and Nikishin would be eager to go ahead and get this contract signed for it to count to the 2025 season:

You know, I *did* go into this in detail last week on OG Fans (subscribe today!) which I’ll link below, but I’ll give the quick and dirty here in a ogtriangle.supportingcast.fm/posts/nikish...

— Tom Edwards (@mrworkrate.com) 2025-04-10T16:29:10.261Z

The short explanation—due to his age Nikishin’s Entry Level Contract can only be two years, and if you sign him for the 2024-25 season as year one, the collective bargaining agreement allows the team and player to go ahead and negotiate an extension. This is why Nikishin and his representatives would be eager to get him into the NHL as quickly as possible, and honestly why the Hurricanes would as well to go ahead and get him locked up long term.

The question remains if Nikishin will draw into the lineup in the playoffs, or if the Canes will just use it more as a prolonged training camp for the Russian so they can get him comfortable in the area. There’s little question about him drawing into the lineup over the last four regular season games if they can get him to the United States, now that the Canes have clinched home ice for the first round in their series against the Devils.

Finally, this from Frank Seravalli this morning.

With his release from SKA St. Petersburg secured, #Canes will soon sign top prospect Alexander Nikishin to his entry-level deal.

Visa process will take some time; his #NHL debut with #RaiseUp will be in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against #njdevils.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 11, 2025​

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/11/24406071/alexander-nikishin-headed-to-hurricanes

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Rangers @ Hurricanes - Preview and Game Thread

Photo by Michael Mooney/NHLI via Getty Images

Canes return home and will try to break their four game losing streak

The Carolina Hurricanes (46-27-5) have returned home and will take on the New York Rangers (37-35-7) this afternoon at the Lenovo Center. The game has a special start time of 3 P.M. and will be televised by ABC and ESPN+.

The Canes have lost four games in a row including a 5-4 shootout loss to the Capitals Thursday night. They are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.

The Rangers have had a disappointing season. They are coming off a win against the Islanders but they also have a 4-5-1 record in their last 10.

This is the first game of a back-to-back for Carolina so look for them to stick with their goalie rotation which would put Pyotr Kochetkov in net.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been fighting an injury and may or may not play. William Carrier has been practicing, but there has been no announcement whether or not he will play.

The lineups will be posted in the comment section a bit later.

Team’s preview is next.

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-april-12-vs-ny-rangers

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/12/24406718/rangers-hurricanes-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes 7, Rangers 3

Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images

Canes eliminate Rangers from playoff contention with win

The Carolina Hurricanes got back to their home game and started out on fire as they defeated the New York Rangers, 7-3 at the Lenovo Center Saturday afternoon.

The Canes jumped out to a 4-0 lead and while things probably got a bit too close in the third, held on for the win.

The loss eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs this postseason.

It was also the first time the Hurricanes were able to sweep a season series from the Rangers since the 80’s, when they were known as the Whalers.

Jalen Chatfield got things started with a blast from the point about midway through the first period.

Later in the period, Seth Jarvis made it 2-0, off a pass by, you guessed it, Sebastian Aho.

Two minutes into the second period, Jackson Blake scored his 17th of the season.

About 10 minutes later, Mark Jankowski took a nice pass from William Carrier and roofed it to make it 4-0.

The Rangers would get on the board with just 17 seconds left in the second, then would start percolating in the third.

Early in the last period, Jordan Staal scored unassisted on a beautiful play to make it 5-1, but the Rangers scored two straight and got another puck past Kochetkov that was stopped by Chatfield to keep it at 5-3.

The Canes then scored twice into an empty net to wrap things up, one by Martinook and one by Stankoven.

The Canes have now won their 31st home game this season which tied the franchise record. Will they break the record on Sunday against Toronto?

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS021266.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES021266.HTM

Team’s Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-canes-match-franchise-record-with-win-over-rangers

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/12/24407202/hurricanes-7-rangers-3

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Maple Leafs 4, Hurricanes 1

NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 13: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his teammate William Nylander #88 goal during the 3rd period of the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on April 13, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images

Canes close out regular season home ice finale with a loss to Toronto.

The Carolina Hurricanes were hoping to set a franchise record for home wins in a single season, but instead lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1 on Sunday night at the Lenovo Center.

The Canes started out well and had a strong first period, but did not score. They were outshooting the Leafs by a significant number up until the last minute of the period when the Leafs scored.

After that, it was pretty much all Toronto.

In the second, a wide open Austin Matthews buried a shot from the slot area.

Carolina could only muster two shots on goal the entire period.

Early in third, William Nylander made it 3-0.

The Hurricanes were awarded a four minute powerplay later in the third and Sebastian Aho was able to cash in on a nice feed by Seth Jarvis.

But with less than five minutes remaining, John Tavares knocked one in and that was as much as the end.

This was a pretty meaningless game for Carolina and all fans can hope for is that they will play with more passion come playoff time.

The following is a postgame quote from team Captain, Jordan Staal.

“So we’ll learn from this and we’ll make sure that we’re sharper next time. When it matters, everyone will be ready to go.”

Next up will be another “meaningless” game in Montreal on Wednesday night.

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS021279.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES021279.HTM

Team’s Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-canes-lose-to-leafs-in-home-finale

Interviews - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mduy...811yi7sba17e6sz0t3uk279a&e=1&st=y2mmkolu&dl=0

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/13/24407826/maple-leafs-4-hurricanes-1

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview: Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes

Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images

The Canes host the Leafs in the home regular season finale.

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final home game of the regular season.

Both teams are locked into the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see how they approach today’s game, especially with Toronto’s injuries on defense.

Toronto passed the 100-point mark for the fourth consecutive season, and is looking for its first division title since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. The Leafs are on a two-game winning streak, earning overtime victories against Tampa Bay and Montreal.

Since losing four of five in early March, Toronto is 10-2-1 in the last 13 games, the best in the NHL over that stretch. This surge has elevated them from a tie for second in the Atlantic Division to a four-point lead over the Lightning and Panthers.

The stars continue to shine for the Leafs. Mitch Marner continues to lead Toronto in assists and points, and has led the way over the last 13 games with 18 points, including the overtime winner last night. He is third in the NHL with 72 assists and fourth with 102 points.

John Tavares continues to produce. He is second on the team with 37 goals. This is Tavares’s highest goal-scoring total since the 2018-19 season. He and Auston Matthews have tallied 17 points each over the last 13 games.

Carolina will face another top power play unit. Toronto ranks sixth in the league with a 25.5 percent conversion rate on the man advantage. However, the Leafs have just one power play goal in the last six games.

Like the Hurricanes, the Maple Leafs have shared the workload in net. Since returning from a lower-body injury in February, Anthony Stolarz has made 15 starts, while Joseph Woll has made 11.

The Canes have faced both goalies this season, with a win over Woll in January and a loss to Stolarz in February. With Stolarz earning the shutout last night against Montreal, expect Woll to get the start this evening.

Former Hurricanes Max Pacioretty and Jani Hakanpaa are both on the injured reserve. Defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jake McCabe, and center David Kampf are confirmed to be out of the lineup tonight. Toronto played with just five defensemen last night, and will do so again tonight.

---

Maple Leafs projected lineup:

• Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
• Calle Jarnkrok — John Tavares — William Nylander
• Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson
• Pontus Holmberg — Scott Laughton — Steven Lorentz

• Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
• Simon Benoit — Chris Tanev
• Philippe Myers

• Joseph Woll
• Anthony Stolarz

---

Yesterday’s dominating win over New York was great in many ways. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak, Pyotr Kochetkov earned his first win in three starts, and the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs.

The regular season finale at Lenovo Center could have many milestones. A win will be the fourth consecutive 50-win, 100-point season for the Canes. It will also set the franchise record of 32 home victories.

Seth Jarvis’s goal yesterday tied Eric Staal for the franchise record for home goals. Let’s see if he can break the record this evening.

With Kochetkov earning the victory yesterday, expect to see Frederik Andersen between the pipes.

Shayne Gostisbehere and Jesperi Kotkaniemi will remain out of the lineup. Taylor Hall may return to the lineup.

Staying healthy is the priority for the final three games of the season. The Canes must avoid a sleepwalk into the playoffs, and yesterday, it was nice to see a return to proper playing form.

Carolina still has the top penalty kill in the NHL, but the national telecasts put a jinx on the team during the last two games. Tonight will be a good test for the Canes' penalty killers.

---

Hurricanes projected lineup:

• Seth Jarvis — Sebastian Aho — Jackson Blake
• Taylor Hall — Jack Roslovic — Andrei Svechnikov
• Jordan Martinook — Jordan Staal — Logan Stankoven
• William Carrier— Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson

• Jaccob Slavin — Brent Burns
• Dmitry Orlov — Jalen Chatfield
• Scott Morrow — Sean Walker

• Frederik Andersen
• Pyotr Kochetkov

---

Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 5:00 PM ET
• Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
• TV: FanDuel Sports Network South with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Hanna Yates, in-game reporter; Shane Willis, analyst.
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan
• Line: ML: CAR -225; PL: CAR -1.5 +120

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...eafs-vs-carolina-hurricanes-nhl-april-13-2025

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Canadiens - Preview and Game Thread

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Canes are resting players while the Habs need one point to clinch spot in playoffs

The Carolina Hurricanes (47-28-5) are in Montreal and will face the Canadiens (39-31-11) tonight at the Bell Centre.

Game time is 7 P.M. and it will be televised locally by the FanDual Sports Network.

The Canes recently recalled a few players from Chicago to fill in for some regulars. Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau, Riley Stillman, and Domenick Fensore are all expected to play.

The game’s official lineup has yet to be released but Walt Ruff sent this out on the Twitter this morning.

Here is who is NOT on the ice for the #Canes at morning skate in Montreal:

• Sebastian Aho
• Jackson Blake
• Jalen Chatfield
• Seth Jarvis
• Jordan Martinook
• Jaccob Slavin
• Jordan Staal

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) April 16, 2025​

Some of these guys might just be taking the morning off, but take this as you will.

There is some good news for Carolina. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shayne Gostisbehere were both back on the ice in practice yesterday. There are both expected to be back in action tonight.

Pyotr Kochetkov should be in net for the Canes.

The Habs have a lot of pressure on them tonight as they still need one point to clinch a spot tin the playoffs. The Blue Jackets are right on their heels.

The Daily Faceoff is posting these lines for Montreal.

With that line getting reunited, the #GoHabsGo lines should look like:

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Gallagher-Dvorak-Anderson
Demidov-Newhook-Laine
Heineman-Evans-Armia https://t.co/4g4p4MCy4E

— Daily Faceoff - Fantasy (@DFOFantasy) April 16, 2025​

Carolina will be hoping for no last minute injuries like what has happened to them in the past. They have already clinched home ice advantage against the Devils, so they are playing for pride tonight.

Team’s Preview - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-april-16-at-montreal

UPDATE - from Walt Ruff-

The #Canes' morning skate in Montreal -

Svechnikov - Kotkaniemi - Hall
Robinson - Jankowski - Roslovic
Carrier - Brind’Amour - Stankoven
Jost - Nadeau

Orlov - Burns
Gostisbehere - Walker
Stillman - Morrow
Fensore

Kochetkov in the starter's crease. pic.twitter.com/sPix73s6Ga

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) April 16, 2025​

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/16/24409840/hurricanes-canadiens-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Canadiens 4, Hurricanes 2

MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 16: Kaiden Guhle #21 of the Montreal Canadiens defends against Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes as oaltender Sam Montembeault #35 of the Montreal Canadiens allows a goal on a shot by Taylor Hall #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes (not pictured) during the first period at the Bell Centre on April 16, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. | Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Montreal clinches playoff spot with win

The Montreal Canadiens won a game they had to have as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2 on Wednesday night.

The win puts the Habs in a first round matchup against the Washington Capitals.

Of course, Carolina had already wrapped up second place in the Metropolitan and will face New Jersey.

The Hurricanes fell behind just three minutes and change into the game but Taylor Hall made a shot to tie things up midway through the first.

The Habs scored twice in the second period even though the Canes outshot them 14-5 and seemed to deserve better.

Bradly Nadeau got a shot near the goal line and Tyson Jost knocked it in to make it 3-2 in the third. It was Nadeau’s first career NHL point.

While Carolina was applying some pressure, Montreal would close things out with an empty netter.

Skyler Brind’Amour and Domenick Fensore each made their NHL debuts. The Canes rested many of their regulars.

Pytor Kochetkov made 17 saves on 20 shots.

The Canes will close out their regular season with a game in Ottawa on Thursday night.

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS021301.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES021301.HTM

Team’s Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-shorthanded-canes-held-off-by-habs

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/17/24410291/canadiens-4-hurricanes-2

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Senators 7, Hurricanes 5

OTTAWA, CANADA - APRIL 17: Bradly Nadeau #29 and Shayne Gostisbehere #4 come to the aid of their teammate Tyson Jost #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on April 17, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. | Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Canes called for 10 penalties in the loss

The Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Ottawa Senators 7-5 on Thursday night as they closed out their regular season in rare form.

The team was called for a total of 10 penalties in the game, including an “abuse of the officials” penalty on Shayne Gostisbehere after the game. On the other side, the Sens were called for three.

After the home team jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, the Canes scored twice quickly to make a game of it just before the end of the period.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi snapped in his lethal wrist shot with two minutes and change left, and with less than a minute in the period, Skyler Brind’Amour knocked in a loose puck in the crease to score his first career NHL goal.

Just 50 seconds into the second period, Andrei Svechnikov scored a powerplay goal with a perfectly placed shot. Fans can only hope that he keeps that magic touch during the playoffs.

Shortly afterward, Jack Roslovic rifled in a shot and the Canes were cooking.

Tyson Jost made an excellent play, shooting in a pass from Taylor Hall to give the Canes a commanding 5-3 lead, or so we thought.

But the Senators were not done. They would score four straight goals in the third period, two of them on powerplays.

The Canes penalty kill was over-worked and killed six of nine penalties.

Next up come the Devils on Easter Sunday and the games are no longer meaningless. But can Carolina flip on the intensity switch and be ready?

Notes:

• Svechnikov and Hall each had two points on the night.
• Brent Burns played one shift in this game for a total of 24 seconds.
• Orlov played a team high 23:14.
• Kotkaniemi had a team best six shots on goal.

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS021309.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES021309.HTM

Team’s Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-canes-cant-complete-comeback-in-game-82

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/17/24410962/senators-7-hurricanes-5

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Senators - Preview and Game Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 13: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Ottawa Senators makes a save against Dmitry Orlov #7 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center on December 13, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Photo by Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images

Canes wrap up regular season tonight

The Carolina Hurricanes (47-29-5) wrap up their regular season with a game tonight against the Ottawa Senators (34-30-7). Game time is at 7 P. M. and it will be televised locally by the FanDuel Sports Network.

The Canes have a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games and are looking to break 100 points as they have been sitting at 99 for the last two.

The team is reporting that the lineup will be similar as it was last night so the same regulars will be sitting out to enable the team would be as healthy as possible for their game one against the New Jersey Devils on Easter Sunday.

It is expected that Andersen will be in net, but nothing official as been announced yet.

The team’s preview is here - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-april-17-at-ottawa

The playoff schedule for Carolina is here - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/fans/playoffs-2025

Article covering newcomers from last night - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/after-the-storm-brind-amour-fensore-s-debut

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/17/24410745/hurricanes-senators-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

By The Numbers: Devils vs Hurricanes, Line by Line Comparisons

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 28: Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils players fight during the third period at Lenovo Center on December 28, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images

Another look at this round one matchup

I thought it might be worthwhile to compare the Hurricanes and Devils, line by line. Of course this comparison does not prove anything, but it is interesting.

It is important to note that these numbers do not include Jack Hughes, who will miss this series due to injury.

First, let’s look at the Devils.

(line information from ( https://puckpedia.com/lineups/new-jersey-devils )

Line one – Noesen 22G 19A – Hischier 35G 34A – Bratt 21G 67A

Totals – 78G 120A Total 198 points

Line two – Haula 11G 10A – Mercer 19G 17A – Meier 26G 27A

Totals – 56G 54A Total 100 points

Line three – Cotter 16G 6A – Glass 6G 16A – Sprong 2G 5A

Totals – 24G 27A Total 51 points

Line four – Palat 15G 13A – Dowling 2G 5A – Bastian 4G 6A

Totals – 21G 24A Total 45 points

Next up, the Hurricanes ( https://puckpedia.com/lineups/carolina-hurricanes )

Line one – Jarvis 32G 35A – Aho 29G 45A – Blake 17G 17A

Totals 78G 97A Total 175 points

Line two – Hall 18G 24A – Kotkaniemi 12G 21A – Svechnikov 20G 28A

Totals 50G 73A Totals 123 points

Line three – Martinook 15G 21A– Staal 13G 23A – Carrier 4g 7a

Totals – 32G 51A Totals 83 points

Line four – Roslovic 22G 17A – Jankowski 12G 5A – Stankoven 14G 24A

Totals – 48G 46A Totals – 94 points

As you can see, I took a few liberties creating the lines for Carolina.

I moved William Carrier to the third line because those three skaters were so effective together earlier in the season.

I had Eric Robinson as the healthy scratch but I could be wrong about that one. He had 14 goals compared to 22 for Roslovic, but he was a +14 versus a -10 for the latter.

The Devils first line had more total points than the Carolina first line. But if we were to exchange Svechnikov and Blake, the point totals for the top two lines for each team would be pretty close.

Where the Hurricanes seem to have the distinct scoring advantage would be with the third and fourth lines. Carolina needs those two lines to take advantage when they play against each other, and perform in accordance to the stats.

Of course, goaltending will be huge and the defense scoring is another topic. This is just one thing to look at.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...devils-vs-hurricanes-line-by-line-comparisons

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Canes Country Playoff Pick ‘em Version 2025

Photo by Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images

Make your predictions and maybe win a nice prize!

After a bit of a delay, we have been able to go forward with our annual Playoff Pick’em contest. With the help of “Bambamcanefan” and Brian’s beloved spreadsheet, we will be able to see this through.

Obviously the playoffs have already started, but everyone is on equal footing here. We will give participants a couple of days to get their picks in and will allow entries until 11 P.M. Tuesday, April 22nd.

Any entries posted after that time will not count.

I will search through my old locker and provide a couple of prizes for the best results and will post pictures of them soon.

Please follow these specific directions, as this will make it easier to enter the predictions and track the results.

Provide who you think will win and in how many games.

At the end of round one, we will make another posting for round two.

Good luck!!

Metro 1 v WC

Metro 2 v 3

Atlantic 1 v WC

Atlantic 2 v 3

Central 1 v WC

Central 2 v 3

Pacific 1 v WC

Pacific 2 v 3

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/19/24412230/canes-country-playoff-pick-em-version-2025

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Carolina Hurricanes beat Devils 4-1, lead first round series 1-0.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Logan Stankoven was a beast as a dominant first two periods ended the game early.

The Carolina Hurricanes came ready to play in game one in front of a raucus crowd. The New Jersey Devils did not. In a game that saw Carolina dominate from beginning to end, the Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their best of seven first round series.

The first period was all Carolina, as it appeared the rest that several players received during the leadup to the playoffs was exactly what they needed. The Canes outshot the Devils 17-5 in the first period, dominated time of possesion, and easily killed one Power Play that the Devils had when Jalen Chatfield was called for interference. The Devils were able to get a couple of shots, but then coming back from a shorthanded chance, the Devils had more than a few too many men on the ice, negating the rest of the penalty.

Meanwhile as part of the dominance from the Canes early on, Rod Brind’Amour sent out the Jack Roslovic, Eric Robinson, and William Carrier line off a New Jersey icing. Roslovic won the face off, funneling the puck to Robinson who got it out to Jalen Chatfield at the blue line. Chatfield launched it at the net while Carrier provided traffic and Devils’ goalie Jacob Markstrom was unable to stop it. Although New Jersey took time to see if they would challenge for interefence, they let it go.

The dominance continued in the second period for the Canes, as it became the Logan Stankoven Period. The Devils came out with some fight to start, but the Canes continued to dominate at five on five, it eventually lead to the first goal from Stankoven. First he broke up the play in the Devils’ zone, pushing it down the ice to Jordan Martinook while continuing to the net. Martinook would go behind the net, feed it to Stankoven who blasted it by Markstrom for the important 2-0 lead.

The Canes then were able to convert on the Power Play. All afternoon, the second Power Play unit was the best on the ice, generating the most chances, and they were finally rewarded as Taylor Hall—the oft forgotten part of the Rantenen trade—pushed the puck deep while Stankoven set up at the opposite dot. Hall fed a perfect pass to Stankoven who hit the bar and in to give the canes a 3-0 lead and blew the roof off Lenovo Center.

The Devils were able to get one back late in the second as matching minor penalties were assessed to Timo Meier and Shayne Gostisbehere to create a four on four situation. Soon after, Nico Hischier was able to win a face off and rush up the ice past Sebastian Aho and wrist one past Frederick Anderesen. The Canes would go into the locker room up 3-1 and with New Jersey having some momentum, but the shots were still an astounding 38-13 for Carolina.

The Third period saw the Devils give their biggest push of the game, but Andersen came up strong. The Canes were able to get Andrei Svechnikov an emtpy net goal with two minutes left to seal the scoring at 4-1.

Anderson made 20 saves, and Markstrom just was peppered all night.

Round two will be Tuesday night at 6 PM

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...s-beat-devils-4-1-lead-first-round-series-1-0

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Game Preview: Round 1, Game 1 vs. New Jersey

Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images

Welcome to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

For the sixth time in franchise history, the Carolina Hurricanes take on the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In 2001, Carolina made its second playoff appearance since relocation and drew the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round. Despite losing the series to the Devils, the Hurricanes earned a standing ovation from the home crowd in the waning minutes of that Game Six defeat. It was the first series in the new Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, and the Caniacs were sending a “thank you” for bringing the playoffs to the Capital City.

Since the 2001 matchup, the Canes and Devils have met in the playoffs in 2002, 2006, 2009, and 2023, and Carolina has won each of those series.

But as the saying goes, throw the record books out the window. This afternoon is a clean slate for each team, and that is much needed for each squad.

Like Carolina, New Jersey coasted to the end of the regular season after clinching a playoff spot. Both teams won just two games in April, with the Canes going 2-6-1 and the Devils earning a 2-4-0 record.

New Jersey’s strong play in November and December set them on a path to the playoffs. The Devils’ 4-2 win over the Hurricanes on December 27 put them eight points ahead of Carolina in the standings. This was the widest gap in the standings that New Jersey held over Carolina during the season.

But the next night, the Canes beat the Devils 5-2 at the Lenovo Center. This kicked off a four-game losing streak for New Jersey and the beginning of a lackluster 2025. New Jersey has been below average since the calendar flipped to 2025, compiling an 18-20-4 record in 2025. Carolina was 25-17-3 over the same period.

Less than a month after New Jersey held an eight-point lead over Carolina, the Canes passed the Devils in the standings after the overtime win in Chicago on January 20. The Hurricanes did not look back. The widest gap between the teams came during game 74, with the Canes having 96 points and the Devils with 83.

---

There will be a few storylines in this series.

Most notably, star center Jack Hughes will not play. His shoulder injury required surgery, sidelining him for the rest of the season.

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is out with a lower-body injury.

Next, special teams will be a focus. This is where New Jersey has a clear advantage. These are the top two penalty killing teams in the league, with the Devils less than one percentage point behind the Hurricanes for the top spot.

New Jersey has the third-best power play in the NHL, nearly 10 percentage points better than Carolina. The power play struggles for the Canes have been well-documented, and the execution on the man advantage must improve for the Hurricanes to win this series and make a playoff run.

If these top penalty killing teams stifle both power plays, then the focus shifts to five-on-five play. Here, the Hurricanes are the better team. The Devils have a positive goal differential thanks to the power play. In five-on-five situations, New Jersey has allowed 152 goals and scored 149. Carolina has 176 five-on-five goals, allowing 167. Each advanced statistic for five-on-five play favors the Canes.

A major issue for the 2023–24 New Jersey team was goaltending. Five goalies suited up for the Devils last season, and this carousel of goaltenders was undoubtedly a factor in the team missing the playoffs.

Jacob Markstrom was brought in during the offseason to stabilize the situation, and he has done just that. Markstrom compiled a 26-16-6 record this season, carrying the workload for the Devils. His .900 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average are not off the charts, but he and the New Jersey defense combined to have the fifth-best average goals allowed in the league.

Markstrom has struggled after returning from an MCL sprain sustained during a collision in January. Since his return on March 2, Markstrom has a 5-7-1 record with a .869 save percentage. In three of those games, Markstrom allowed six or more goals.

The Hurricanes are a shot generation machine, and considering Markstrom’s recent performances, Carolina should focus on peppering Markstrom early and often.

In an uncharacteristic move, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced his starting goalie ahead of time. Yesterday, Brind’Amour announced Frederik Andersen is the starter for Game One.

What will be Brind’Amour’s strategy for goaltending this year? During the 2024 playoffs, Andersen made seven starts before Pyotr Kochetkov made his first start in the second round.

Does Brind’Amour employ this same strategy or return to a rotation like during the regular season? Workload management and the risk of injury must be considered. Let’s see if Kochetkov gets the nod for Game Two.

Lastly, there are a lot of familiar faces on the Devils. Brett Pesce will suit up for his first playoff series not in a Hurricanes jersey. Stefan Noesen ranks fourth on the Devils with 22 goals. Dougie Hamilton is quarterbacking New Jersey’s second power play unit and has five goals and 10 assists on the man advantage.

Hurricanes draft pick Brian Dumoulin has played quite a bit since coming to New Jersey from Anaheim.

And then there is Erik Haula.

Keep up with these storylines and more as Canes Country follows the Hurricanes in their quest for the Stanley Cup.

---

Below are the projected lines and pairings for New Jersey:

• Stefan Noesen — Nico Hischier — Jesper Bratt
• Erik Haula — Dawson Mercer — Timo Meier
• Paul Cotter — Cody Glass — Daniel Sprong
• Ondrej Palat — Justin Dowling — Nathan Bastian
• Luke Hughes — Brett Pesce
• Brenden Dillon — Dougie Hamilton
• Brian Dumoulin — Jonathan Kovacevic
• Jacob Markstrom
• Jake Allen

Scratched: Dennis Cholowski, Kurtis MacDermid, Seamus Casey, Simon Nemec, Nolan Foote, Tomas Tatar, Curtis Lazar

Injured: Jonas Siegenthaler (lower body), Jack Hughes (shoulder)

---

• Seth Jarvis — Sebastian Aho — Jackson Blake
• Taylor Hall — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Andrei Svechnikov
• Jordan Martinook — Jordan Staal — Logan Stankoven
• William Carrier— Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson
• Jaccob Slavin — Brent Burns
• Dmitry Orlov — Jalen Chatfield
• Shayne Gostisbehere — Sean Walker
• Frederik Andersen
• Pyotr Kochetkov

Scratched: Tyson Jost, Jack Roslovic, Alexander Nikishin

Injured: None

---

For those attending today’s game, the parking lots officially open at noon. The doors open at 1:45 PM, and puck drop is at 3:00 PM.

Fans are encouraged to download the Hurricanes' mobile app to participate in the pregame light show.

Since it is Easter Sunday, there is an Easter Puck hunt at the Lenovo Center. There are five festive pucks hidden somewhere inside the arena.

Who's ready for an Easter Puck hunt?

Find one of these five pucks hidden inside @LenovoCenter before tomorrow's game and win Game 2 tickets, signed memorabilia or more!

https://t.co/ZWOaBZ3mqk pic.twitter.com/382rAtxX51

— x - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 19, 2025​

---

Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 3:00 PM ET
• Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
• TV: FanDuel Sports Network South with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Hanna Yates, in-game reporter; Shane Willis, analyst.
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan
• Line: ML: CAR -218; PL: CAR -1.5 +130

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...-carolina-hurricanes-stanley-cup-playoffs-nhl

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Devils @ Hurricanes - Round 1, Game 2 - Preview and Game Thread

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 20: Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of Game One of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on April 20, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Photo by Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images

The Canes look to make it two in a row against Jersey

The Carolina Hurricanes return to the ice and will host the New Jersey Devils tonight for game two of round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The game has a special start time of 6 P.M. and will be televised locally by the FanDuel Sports network and nationally by ESPN.

The Canes dominated game one, especially in the first two periods, as they won, 4-1.

Logan Stankoven provided much of the scoring as he notched two goals for the home team.

If we know head coach Rod Brind’Amour, he will stick with the same lineup he went with for game one.

Jarvis - Aho - Blake

Svechnikov - Kotkaniemi - Hall

Martinook - Staal - Stankoven

Carrier - Roslovic - Robinson

Burns - Slavin

Orlov - Chatfield

Gostisbehere - Walker

Andersen

We will see. If there are any changes, they will be mentioned in the comments below.

It was reported by Cory Lavalette that Taylor Hall did not attend practice yesterday. There was no report about any specific injury.

Cory just confirmed that there would be no lineup changes for tonight.

No lineup changes for the Hurricanes. Andersen back in net.

— Cory Lavalette (@corylav) April 22, 2025​

A couple of the Devils were banged up on Sunday.

Amanda Stein covers the Devils and she has the lines as follows:

#NJDevils are without Dillon and Luke at morning skate today.

Here’s how the lines are shaping up… Will wait on official word from HC Keefe later on availabilities.

• Nemec, Cholowski taking 3rd pair reps
• Cody Glass taking a regular rep at 3C
• Tatar in, Sprong out pic.twitter.com/YL8izqQXf7

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) April 22, 2025​

Can the Hurricanes have a repeat performance from Easter Sunday?

Here is the team’s preview- https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/preview-round-1-game-2-vs-njd

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...icanes-round-1-game-2-preview-and-game-thread

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils Playoff Schedule set

Photo by Andrea Cardin/NHLI via Getty Images

It’ll be an Easter matinee start for the Canes versus the Devils

While Wednesday Night’s to Montreal wasn’t fun and could have caused Thursday Night’s games to be more fun with Columbus having a chance to win their way in, it did accomplish one thing: it set the entire playoff field and allowed the NHL to go ahead and—eventually—set a schedule for all the first round series.

A few hours after the Canadiens clinched their spot, the NHL announced the first two series starting on Saturday with the promise the remainder of the schedule would follow. For once, instead of waiting till the middle of the night, they went ahead and got the schedule out during the day time to allow for people to have time to prepare.

The Canes reported their own schedule out first.

It's finally here! Round 1 is set

Details » https://t.co/XF9MTlKk5w

— x - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 17, 2025​

In a slightly more readable form, it appears like this:

• Game 1: Sunday, April 20 @ 3 p.m. (Lenovo Center)—FanDuel Sports Net/ESPN
• Game 2: Tuesday, April 22 @ 6 p.m. (Lenovo Center)—FanDuel Sports Net/ESPN
• Game 3: Friday, April 25 @ 8 p.m. (Prudential Center)—FanDuel Sports Net/TBS
• Game 4: Sunday, April 27 @ 3:30 p.m. (Prudential Center)-FanDuel Sports Net/TBS
• Game 5 (If needed): Tuesday, April 29 @ TBD (Lenovo Center)-FanDuel Sports Net/TBD
• Game 6 (If needed): Friday, May 2 @ TBD (Prudential Center)-FanDuel Sports Net/TBD
• Game 7 (If needed): Sunday, May 4 @ TBD (Lenovo Center)-FanDuel Sports Net/TBD

The entire NHL first round playoff schedule is also out and there are a few oddities there. It also easily explains why Canes are playing at 6 PM on Tuesday—for some reason the Tampa Bay Lightening/Florida Panthers series isn’t starting off until Tuesday, and since it’s in the Eastern Time Zone they couldn’t get away with waiting till a later start time. So the Canes get the funky 6 PM start time on Tuesday so the Florida teams can start at 8:30.

Because the NHL.

All of this brings about the fact that it’ll be an Easter Sunday in Raleighwood to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The date and time should bring some interesting fashion choices in the stands as more than a few will likely be coming from other events straight to Lenovo Center.

Another quirk with the schedule is the two day break that appears twice, and then the Canes/Devils doing a Friday Night 8 PM to Sunday 3:30 PM turnaround between games three and four. It almost guarantees that there will have to be a use of both goalies in this series as Freddie Andersen has yet to play in a back to back contest since his injury return, and trying to ask him to do that turnaround out of the blue will be difficult.

Obviously games five through seven are left open due to how it might work with other series. As soon as it’s known what games are needed on those dates, the times and networks will be announced.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...nes-vs-new-jersey-devils-playoff-schedule-set

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes 3, Devils 1

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 22: Jordan Martinook #48 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on April 22, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. | Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Carolina takes a 2-0 lead in round one series

The Carolina Hurricanes had a slow start, fell behind 1-0, but came on strong to defeat the New Jersey Devils, 3-1 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center.

The win gives Carolina a 2-0 lead in this opening round series.

After falling behind 1-0 in the opening period, Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game early in the second when he followed up his own shot in close.

A bit later in that period, Dmitri Orlov fed Jordan Martinook, shorthanded, and Martinook snipered a shot past goalie, Jacob Markstrom to give the home team a lead they would never relinquish.

Markstrom got upset with Andrei Svechnikov again and went after the Russian again this night, after swinging his stick at him the previous game, but missing him and hitting his own man instead.

The third period was pretty even, though the Devils seemed to earn the better chances. It didn’t matter because Carolina goalie, Fred Andersen made save after save, some of them outstanding, down the stretch to earn first star recognition.

Seth Jarvis scored an empty-netter to close things out.

The Devils cranked up their physical game and had 51 hits to Carolina’s 31.

The Canes pulled about even in the faceoff circle, losing barely 51% to 49%.

The Canes will take Wednesday off and will practice Thursday before flying to Jersey for game three.

Game Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/GS030142.HTM

Event Summary - https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20242025/ES030142.HTM

Team Recap - https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/recap-andersen-martinook-spark-canes-game-2-win

Interviews - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/c6i4...oqy0n1zwheim4cbuso5x4bnd&e=1&st=0wader8f&dl=0

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/23/24414509/hurricanes-3-devils-1

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Hurricanes @ Devils - Round 1, Game 3 - Preview and Game Thread

Getty Images

The Hurricanes look to take full command of the series in Newark.

The Carolina Hurricanes successfully defended home ice in Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the New Jersey Devils.

Now, the series shifts to the Prudential Center in Newark, where the Devils are sure to throw the Hurricanes their best shot as they look to avoid falling in a 3-0 hole.

Jordan Martinook provided the heroics on Tuesday night with a game-winning shorthanded goal, and it was Logan Stankoven with a pair of tallies on Sunday to give Carolina a 1-0 series lead.

On both days, though, Frederik Andersen’s performance between the pipes was crucial to securing a win.

Andersen currently leads the playoffs in save percentage.

We would expect head coach Rod Brind’Amour to turn to Andersen again tonight, but Game 4 could be an opportunity for Pyotr Kochetov to work into the mix given the short turnaround time between tonight’s puck drop and Sunday afternoon’s.

Brind’Amour told the media Thursday that “more than likely” the team would roll out the same lineup from the first two contests.

New Jersey head coach Sheldon Keefe was noncommittal as to the status of injured defensemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon, noting that neither of them would be ready if the game was yesterday but that time was on their side.

---

Here’s how to check out the action:

• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Location: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ.
• TV: FanDuel Sports Network South with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Hanna Yates, in-game reporter; Shane Willis, analyst OR TBS.
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan
• Line: ML: CAR -166; PL: CAR -1.5 +160

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4...new-jersey-devils-game-3-preview-nhl-playoffs

 

[Carolina Hurricanes]

Devils 3, Hurricanes 2 - OT

NHLI via Getty Images

It was tough sledding for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 on the road on Friday night.

For the second game in a row, the Carolina Hurricanes got off to a poor start against the New Jersey Devils.

Unlike in Game 2 in Raleigh on Tuesday night, they did not get away with it this time.

Devils captain Nico Hischier provided a crucial first goal late in the first period when he took advantage of a defensive lapse by Carolina, holding off Sean Walker and beating Frederik Andersen to send the Prudential Center crowd into a frenzy.

It was the culmination of a dominant first period by the home team, one in which New Jersey had an answer for everything Carolina tried to get going in the offensive zone while the Hurricanes relied on Andersen to keep the Devils off the board.

New Jersey took a 1-0 lead into the intermission like Tuesday, and just like that night, their play relented in the second stanza.

It didn’t matter this time, as Jacob Markstrom was up to the task of holding the Hurricanes off the board when they did manage to muster a chance of consequence.

The Devils weren’t completely shut down in the second, though, as they strung together a couple threatening shifts, one that featured a legitimate save of the year candidate when Andersen robbed Timo Meier with the glove on a play where all 10 skaters on the ice crowded the crease and the Hurricanes couldn’t freeze it.

New Jersey took its 1-0 edge into the third and built upon it when Dawson Mercer scored his first of the series by tucking one in after Andersen’s momentum from a prior tough save left the net briefly vacant.

Seth Jarvis cut the deficit in half with a power play goal with a well-placed shot on a give-and-go with Sebastian Aho.

The Devils immediately got their own chance on the power play, but Carolina killed it off.

The line of Taylor Hall, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Andrei Svechnikov then hemmed Brett Pesce and the Devils in their own end for a shift of over two minutes, and a gassed Pesce eventually flipped the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty.

Markstrom made a big save on Svechnikov on a one-timer, but he slid out of position, and the puck found Aho who deposited it into a wide-open net to tie the score.

The game went to overtime, where the Hurricanes killed off tripping penalties to Brent Burns and Jordan Staal without receiving a power play of their own.

Andersen made multiple big stops to push the game to a second extra frame, as Carolina registered just a pair of shots on goal.

The Hurricanes didn’t fare any better in the second overtime, as they continued to try to hang on until eventually Andersen let one through.

Embattled Devils defenseman Simon Nemec broke through Shayne Gostisbehere and Jack Roslovic to get a wrister off on Andersen, and it sneaked through under his right arm to trickle in to end the game.

With that, the Devils got right back into the series and gave themselves the chance to send it back to Raleigh tied at two games apiece.

Game 4 from Newark is set for 3:30 PM EST on Sunday.

Source: https://www.canescountry.com/2025/4/26/24417252/new-jersey-devils-1-carolina-hurricanes-1