For 20 minutes, the New Jersey Devils looked like a red-hot team capable of competing with any opponent in the NHL.
Nevertheless, in a result that seemed very familiar to Devils fans, the Carolina Hurricanes came back strongly with five consecutive goals in their 5–2 victory, which snapped the Devils' two-game winning streak.
Evgeni Dadonov and Timo Meier each scored, the second of which came from Dawson Mercer in his 400th consecutive game. Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves in the loss.
Carolina scored three times in the second period, led by former Devils forward Taylor Hall, who had two assists. Nikolaj Ehlers also had a goal and an assist.
The Hurricanes won their 12th consecutive home game against the Devils, adding six Stanley Cup playoff wins over the past four seasons.
"I think this group needs to heal some wounds along the way," Devils forward Connor Brown said after the game. "As soon as you let one in and get one on their heels, that's where their system takes over. That's the type of game they hunt."
Devils had a strong performance in the first round in Carolina.
The Devils couldn't have asked for a better start to the game.
They kept the shot count close throughout the frame and played the proverbial solid road game. Markstrom made eight saves, and they were mostly from outside, as the Devils gave up just 0.62 expected goals and two high-danger chances.
Despite two failed power plays in the first period, New Jersey also finished first on the board. Captain Nico Hischier hit Mercer with a 100-foot stretch pass and Mercer beat Carolina defenseman Sean Walker and found Meyer for a tap-in goal.
It was Meyer's 22nd goal of the season. He has scored in three consecutive games and has five in New Jersey's last seven games. Meyer now has eight goals in 15 games since the Olympic break ended.
Satan came unmasked in the second period
Failing to handle the Hurricanes' surge has been a hallmark of the Devils' struggles in Carolina, and Saturday was no different.
Carolina outscored the Devils 15–5 in the second period, and had a 32–13 shot-attempt advantage in the middle frame. Yet, according to Devils coach Sheldon Keefe, the whole thing backfired when Lenny Haminaho took the team's only penalty of the game, a minor tripping at 8:27 of the second.
“We were definitely right there in the game,” Keefe said. "Up until the penalty take, I liked our second period. We didn't get a lot of shots on net, but we were in our half of the ice. We just didn't have the stamina or energy to keep up with it."
Ehlers tied the score by beating Markstrom from the right circle on the power play, capping a typical passing play. Then Carolina's rush got busy, energizing the Hurricanes' offensive anticipation and forcing the Devils into mistakes.
“There's no doubt that our bench sagged a little bit after we scored the first goal,” Keefe said. "It's more than just the opponent. You know how hard it is to score. You've got the lead, you've given them life. The crowd just comes alive. It's everything."
Shane Gostisbier's aggressive puck at the offensive blue line forced a turnover, creating a two-on-one situation for Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven, and Blake got past Jonas Seigenthaler and beat Markstrom, giving Carolina the lead at 13:48.
“Punting against this team is exactly what they want,” Keefe said. "They drop it in the neutral zone, they come straight at you and it's wave after wave. We've got to make a play. We've got to get it off the boards against these guys.
Jordan Staal scored just 95 seconds later, redirecting Ehlers' shot after Simon Nemec's soft back-handed clearing attempt, giving Carolina a 3–1 lead and effectively putting the game on ice.
“We had time to make a play and we panicked and threw it against the wall and that gave them an opportunity,” Keefe said. “Those are two big plays that end up on net.”
