In the opening game of their playoff series, the New Jersey Devils were overwhelmed by the Carolina Hurricanes and hit with three significant injuries. The Devils lost 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The result gives Carolina a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series.
Carolina controlled the game from the beginning. Just two minutes and twenty-four seconds into the first period, Jalen Chatfield scored the opening goal. He took a wrist shot from the right point after a faceoff win by Jack Roslovic. William Carrier screened Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom, making it difficult to track the puck, which slipped through for a 1-0 lead. That was only the first 17 shots the Hurricanes fired at Markstrom in the first period. The Devils managed just five in that span.
Despite the early goal, Markstrom helped keep the game close. He made five saves on Carolina’s first power play and stopped Andrei Svechnikov with a sliding move during another man advantage late in the first. However, Carolina kept pressing in the second period.
Logan Stankoven scored twice in that middle frame. His first came 6:37 after Devils captain Nico Hischier turned the puck over behind the net. Stankoven picked it up in the right circle and beat Markstrom low for a 2-0 lead. Later, with New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer serving a delay of game penalty, Stankoven scored again. This time, Taylor Hall passed across the zone to Stankoven at the left faceoff dot. He fired the puck into the top corner for a 3-0 advantage. Those two goals came just six minutes and thirty-one seconds apart.
The Devils finally scored late in the second period. With 1:09 remaining in a 4-on-4 situation, Hischier rushed down the left side and fired a shot over Frederik Andersen’s glove. That goal, New Jersey’s twelfth shot of the game, made it 3-1.
Early in the third period, the game turned more troubling for New Jersey. Luke Hughes was hurt after colliding with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and crashing into the net. He left the ice holding his upper body. While he returned later in the period, the incident raised concern. Moments later, Cody Glass was injured during the same shift. As he crossed in front of the net, Carolina goalie Markstrom accidentally caught him with his stick. Glass fell awkwardly, and his leg appeared to bend unnaturally. He needed help to get off the ice and did not return. Head coach Sheldon Keefe did not provide an update after the game.
Brenden Dillon had already left the game earlier in the second period. With 8:27 remaining before the intermission, Dillon was knocked down by William Carrier in front of the net. He remained on the ice until a team trainer and teammate, Nathan Bastian, helped him up. Though he eventually skated off under his own power, he went straight to the locker room and did not return. According to Keefe, Dillon wanted to rejoin the game, but doctors decided to keep him out for precautionary reasons.
In total, the Devils lost three players to injury, including two in the third period alone. Combined with the absence of star forward Jack Hughes, who is already out for the season, these new injuries could leave the team short-handed heading into Game 2.
Meanwhile, Carolina closed out the game with strong defense and puck control. With just over two minutes left, Andrei Svechnikov scored an empty-net goal to secure the 4-1 win. Taylor Hall collected his second assist on the play. Carolina finished with 46 shots on goal, compared to New Jersey’s 24. Markstrom made 41 saves, doing everything he could to keep the score close.
New Jersey’s power play failed to convert on two chances, while Carolina scored once in three opportunities. The Devils improved their shot totals slightly in the final period, recording 11 shots, but the gap from the earlier periods proved too large. After just five shots in the first and eight in the second, the Devils never kept up with Carolina’s pace.
In the third period, Keefe adjusted his forward lines to find a spark. He placed Ondrej Palat with Hischier and Timo Meier and shuffled Glass with Paul Cotter and Stefan Noesen. The changes brought more pressure but didn’t lead to another goal.
Two players, Johnny Kovacevic and Paul Cotter, made their Stanley Cup Playoff debut in this game. Both contributed shifts but were part of a team that spent much of the game defending against Carolina’s aggressive style.
