2024-25 Regular Season, Game 19 Preview: Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils

The Carolina Hurricanes used a massive start to the third period to work past the Philadelphia Flyers last night. Jalen Chatfield opened the scoring 30 seconds into the contest to get the Canes ahead early, but the Flyers got the better of play for most of the period. They wouldn't receive their payoff until early in the second when Pyotr Kochetkov conceded a soft goal from just inside the blue line to Ryan Poehling. After allowing the goal, the Canes settled in. The Canes ran away with the game in the third period, aided by three goals in under six minutes. Sebastian Aho got it going, snapping a shot that barely trickled through Ivan Fedotov's arm to retake the lead. Five minutes later, Jordan Staal redirected a shot-pass from Dmitry Orlov into the net to provide some breathing room. To finish it off, Jack Roslovic hit double digits by finishing a beautiful pass from Aho to make it 4-1. The score would stay there as Kochetkov finished the night with 18 stops while Aho and Chatfield recorded two points each.

The Opponent: New Jersey Devils (12-7-2, 26 Points, 3rd in the Metropolitan Division)

Last Meeting: After a disappointing Opening Night loss to the Lightning, the Hurricanes hosted the Devils at the Lenovo Center on October 15th. After a scoreless first period, Jack Hughes broke the deadlock early in the second period by snapping a quiet wrister past an unsuspecting Pyotr Kochetkov. Seth Jarvis' spinning shot from the slot would draw the Canes even midway through the period, and Shayne Gostisbehere's first goal of the campaign in the final minute had them ahead going into the third period. Jackson Blake would add to the lead halfway through the third by deflecting Dmitry Orlov's shot for his first NHL goal. Nico Hischier made it a little tense late by scoring a 5-on-3 goal, but Sebastian Aho found the empty net to restore the two-goal advantage for good in a 4-2 victory for the Canes, their first of the season.

Since We Last Met: With other teams in the league starting to catch them in games played, the Devils are no longer outliers after their early start abroad. They've managed to maintain their pace, sitting in the Top 4 of a tightly packed division. They hit a tiny bump in mid-October, losing four straight, but they've rebounded by winning seven of their last ten, including back-to-back wins in Sunrise against the defending champs. The usual suspects continue to carry the offense, with Jesper Bratt leading the way with 24 points, Jack Hughes close behind with 22, and Nico Hischier pacing with ten goals to go with his ten assists. Former Hurricane Stefan Noesen's second stint in New Jersey has also gotten off to a good start with nine goals. Jacob Markstrom has provided the stability in the net they've long missed, with Jake Allen serving his backup role swimmingly. They're a much deeper team than they were a year ago, making them just as dangerous as we expected them to be.

Stories of the Night

1. The Devils Should Be Well Rested

While the Hurricanes played last night in Philadelphia, the Devils haven't played since Saturday night in Tampa Bay. It has allowed some of New Jersey's ailing players to rest up in preparation for this one. The Canes, who have been banged up a little over the last few weeks, haven't had that luxury. They had two days on each side of their back-to-back over the weekend but are now playing the second half of another back-to-back. The question will be whether or not the Devils have lost their groove during their time off while the Canes have been on the ice a lot. 

2. First Time Seeing the Devils at Full Strength?

When the Devils visited Raleigh, they were doing so without Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce on the back end. With time to heal their injuries, the Devils might be icing as close to their normal roster as possible tonight. While nothing is set in stone right now, Timo Meier has been dealing with some back spasms over the last few days, so his status for the game will be something to watch in the lead-up. The Canes will still be without Seth Jarvis and Frederik Andersen, leaving two big parts of their group out for another game.

3. Spencer Martin's Turn

The last time Spencer Martin took the ice, he recorded his first NHL shutout by stone-walling the Ottawa Senators in a 4-0 victory. Tonight, he'll be tasked with backstopping the team during the second half of a back-to-back. He has looked good this season, even in his loss to Colorado on the last trip. The team in front of him might be a little tired after playing last night, making Martin's performance even more important. Against a team as skilled as the Devils, it will be imperative that Martin is on his game.