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Oct 05, 2023

Hurricanes crush Devils again to take 2

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice in a roughly 2 ¹/₂-minute span during a four-goal second period, Frederik Andersen stopped 28 shots and the Hurricanes beat the Devils 6-1 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Jordan Staal and Martin Necas also scored in the second period, which turned a scoreless game between the two teams with the best regular-season records still alive in the playoffs into a romping Carolina win with the backing of another rowdy home crowd.

The Devils will return home to host Game 3 on Sunday, facing an 0-2 hole for the second straight best-of-seven series.

They lost the first two games at home by 5-1 scores in the first round against the Rangers before rallying to advance with a Game 7 clincher on Monday.

This time, they’ve been outscored 11-2 through two games.

"What bothers me the most is we got outbattled again today," Devils captain Nico Hischier said. "It's the playoffs. Skill doesn't mean a thing. You’ve got to battle hard for your opportunities."

And for the second straight game, the Hurricanes chased Devils netminder Akira Schmid.

He lasted only a few minutes into the second period of the Game 1 loss, then took a seat after the second period Friday with his team down 4-0.

"That's been our style all year long," Staal said, "which is first and foremost give them nothing, and then just be tenacious on the puck and create turnovers and send it to the net."

The Hurricanes have pushed past their injury-hit group of forwards through grit, relentless effort and scoring throughout the lineup. Throw in clinching goals by Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen in the third period Friday off Vitek Vanecek after Schmid was pulled, and the Hurricanes have had nine different players score at least once through two games.

"No secret, we’re missing some firepower, so where are you going to find it?" Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said of injured scorers, such as Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen and trade acquisition Max Pacioretty. "Right now we’re getting it up and down the lineup."

Miles Wood scored for the Devils early in the third, but Andersen was strong in his third straight postseason start for Carolina going back to the first-round clincher against the Islanders.

Kotkaniemi's first goal came when he took pass alone on the right side, then skated in to the dot before firing a shot that went under Schmid's right arm and grazed his ribs before it found the net at the 1:35 mark.

Moments later, Martinook — whose activity had him in the mix all night — skated in to tangle up two Devils players in a possession chase near the boards. That helped jar the puck loose and it skittered over to Kotkaniemi for the near-post putaway at 3:58.

The Hurricanes kept the pressure on. Jack Drury chipped the puck in at the blue line for Staal, with the Hurricanes captain extending his 6-foot-4 frame to corral it before going with the forehand-to-backhand finish and the 3-0 lead.

Finally, Martin Necas finished one from the slot after Jaccob Slavin caught the right post on a rush, pushing the margin to 4-0 and only increasing already roaring noise in PNC Arena shortly before the intermission.

"We’re trying to grind them down," Martinook said. " We know how skilled this team is. If you’re one-and-done and they’re getting out clean, you’re chasing them on the way back."

The Hurricanes dominated the opening period of Game 1, smothering the Devils to take away open ice while tallying more goals (two) than New Jersey had shots (one).

The Devils knew they couldn't repeat that effort and said as much Thursday, noting they had to get pucks on the net and use their speed to force Carolina to expend energy defending in its own end instead of rolling with its aggressive forecheck.New Jersey carried play through the first 10-plus minutes, even with Dougie Hamilton ringing the post on an early power play that included 23 seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage.

By end of Friday night, however, Carolina was celebrating a blowoutwith Martinook's breakaway score against Vanecek followed closely by Noesen's putaway on a perfect 2-on-1 feed from Sebastian Aho.

"Right now, 5-on-5, they’re the better team," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.