Devils strike back against Hurricanes with double-OT win in NHL playoff series

Chip Alexander, The News & Observer on Apr 26, 2025

Published in Hockey

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The New Jersey Devils’ resiliency was tested — in full — Friday by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It took two overtimes to decide Game 3 of the first-round series, a test of grit and endurance by both teams, before the Devils emerged with a 3-2 victory at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Simon Nemec’s goal at 2:36 of the second OT was the winner, giving the Devils their first win on the series. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

With the Canes making a change, Nemec carried the puck into the Carolina zone, skated past defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere at the top of the right circle and beat goalie Frederik Andersen. The defenseman, 21, was playing his second career playoff game for New Jersey.

In the first overtime. Carolina defenseman Brent Burns was called for tripping, bringing out the Canes’ penalty killers. The Canes got the job done shorthanded, but Jordan Staal was called for tripping with 6:04 left in the OT and the Canes again killed it off.

Trailing 2-0 in the third period, the Canes used power-play scores from Seth Jarvis and then Sebastian Aho to tie the score and quiet the crowd.

After opening the first-round series with two losses at the Lenovo Center, the Devils went into Game 3 with an apparent degree of desperation. They played it that way early, getting off to a strong start and getting a first-period goal from captain Nico Hischier to grab the lead.

It stayed 1-0 until early in the third period as Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom used his quickness and 6-foot-6 frame to seal off the net. When Dawson Mercer scored at 1:18 of the third, following up a rebound of a Jesper Bratt shot, the Devils had a two-goal lead and “The Rock” was rocking.

But the Canes, who have taken a decided edge in special teams in the first three games, turned to the power play to get back in it.

Jarvis scored six minutes in the third off an Aho pass. Aho then tied it six minutes later off an Andrei Svechnikov feed.

It took a sharp glove save by Markstrom on a Jesperi Kotkaniemi shot 25 seconds left in regulation to take the game to overtime.

Andersen, like Markstrom, made his third start of the series and made what might have been the most spectacular save in the playoffs so far this year. Flat on his chest in the crease and surrounded by a wall of players, he somehow reached up his glove to snatch a shot by Timo Meier at the post.

Hischier scored his first-period goal in transition as Ondrej Palat made a crisp cross-ice pass to Meier, who pushed it ahead to Hischier breaking to the net. Hischier won the race against defenseman Sean Walker and got just enough of a forehand to slide the puck past Andersen.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour shuffled his lines in the second period after a four-shot first period. He moved Jordan Martinook to Kotkaniemi’s line and William Carrier to the Jordan Staal line opposite Logan Stankoven.

The Canes had better puck possession and 14 shots in the second and finally got some good offensive looks for Aho’s line with Jackson Blake and Jarvis. But Markstrom made all the stops, once denying Aho on a partial shorthanded breakaway.

The Hurricanes, in the first two games, scored the only power-play goal and picked up a shorthanded score from Martinook in the second game.

The Canes came away empty on their first three power plays but Carolina’s penalty killing continued to be effective. The Canes killed two penalties in the second period, with all four penalty killers — Staal, Martinook, Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns — playing the full two minutes on the first.

Aho managed the shorthanded chance on the second kill, but Markstrom easily knocked away Aho’s backhander.

After Mercer’s goal made it 2-0, the Canes had a power play five minutes into the third when Martinook forced a Devils penalty. Jarvis scored, but Carrier was called for an offensive-zone penalty seconds after the ensuing faceoff, putting the Canes back on the P.K.

The Devils then were called for delay of game when former Canes defenseman Brett Pesce flipped the puck over the glass with 7:52 remaining. That’s when Aho struck for the 2-2.

The Devils had nine shots in controlling the first overtime, but Andersen made the stops.

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