"Who's Next?": 2025 Postseason, Round 1, Game 5 (CAR leads 3-1): Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils

We've arrived at the first elimination game of the series as the Canes tried to finish the Devils in five games on Tuesday night. In front of the home crowd, the group sought to end the Devils' season, much like they did two seasons ago. New Jersey continues to fight through the injury bug on defense, but the biggest injury of the series might've been to Frederik Andersen after being run by Timo Meier in Game 4. With Pyotr Kochetkov taking over in the net, he had a chance to earn his second postseason victory.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

NJD (3:46)- Dawson Mercer (2) (Brett Pesce (2))

NJD (5:31)- Timo Meier (2) (Brett Pesce (3))

NJD (9:55)- Stefan Noesen (1) (Simon Nemec (1) & Dougie Hamilton (2))

2nd Period

CAR (1:46)- Taylor Hall (1) (Logan Stankoven (1) & Jaccob Slavin (2))

CAR (4:01)- Jackson Blake (1) (Mark Jankowski (1))

CAR (5:40)- Andrei Svechnikov (5) (Dmitry Orlov (2) & Sebastian Aho (5))

NJD (7:26)- Nico Hischier (4) (Paul Cotter (1) & Stefan Noesen (1))

CAR (11:27)- Sebastian Aho (2) PP (Seth Jarvis (2) & Shayne Gostisbehere (2))

3rd Period

None

Overtime

None

Second Overtime

CAR (4:17)- Sebastian Aho (3) PP (Shayne Gostisbehere (3) & Seth Jarvis (3))

My Thoughts

If you're like me, you thought this game was over ten minutes in after the Devils blitzed the Hurricanes to take a 3-0 lead. While the game was a must-win for the Devils to keep their season alive, the Canes failed to match their desperation. Pyotr Kochetkov struggled to get comfortable in the first period, and the group in front of him didn't do him any favors. They were getting the plane fueled up and ready at RDU to carry the Hurricanes to Newark for Game 6 on Friday night. The only Hurricane showing an ounce of jump was Andrei Svechnikov, which only feels natural after he scored a hat trick two days ago.

I'm not sure what the message in the locker room was between periods, but it seemed to work because that second period was incredible. Everyone bought in and refused to allow the series to shift back to Newark. Taylor Hall made the pass to Logan Stankoven before popping the puck across the line after Jacob Markstrom let it leak through. Jackson Blake caught Markstrom off his post on the short side for a goal. Andrei Svechnikov kept his incredible run going with a wicked shot, with the screen provided by Blake. Even after New Jersey retook the lead, the power play struck during a 5-on-3 to pull even again. Kochetkov settled in a little more after a jittery first period. If not for Markstrom playing out of his mind in the third period and the first overtime, the Canes would've run away with the game.

It's hard to believe in the year 2025 that the Hurricanes' power play would win them a series. Truthfully, it was their entire special teams unit that got it done, but no one expected the power play to look good after how they played after New Year's. They won them the game in double overtime on Sebastian Aho's second goal, but it truly won them the series. They struck in four of the five games, totaling six goals. This after becoming painful to watch over the last few months. The penalty kill carried its play into the first round, finishing as the only perfect kill in the league. This was one of the most unique handshake lines I can recall, given how many former Hurricanes were on the Devils. Everyone hugged Brett Pesce, including the head coach, signifying a series well-played as the Canes survived and advanced.

So, what now? The Hurricanes are the first team to reach the second round, so they'll await the winner of the Washington-Montreal series. The Capitals own a 3-1 lead with a chance to advance on Wednesday night at home. The big question will be whether Frederik Andersen is good to go for the start of the second round. He's listed as day-to-day after his injury in Game 4, so your guess is as good as mine. I'm also not sure when to expect Game 1. That likely depends on when the other series end. If Montreal avoids elimination and forces Game 6, the series returns to Montreal on Friday with a potential Game 7 coming on Sunday. If the series ends in the fifth game, we could be looking at a Sunday start in D.C. If the series makes it to Friday, or if other series take a little longer, I'd anticipate a Monday or Tuesday start.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Sebastian Aho

The moment wasn't too bright for Sebastian Aho on Tuesday night. He scored both of his goals on the power play, notching the game-tying goal in the second and the game-winner in double overtime. He put seven shots on the net, trailing on Andrei Svechnikov's nine. He added five hits in nearly 30 minutes of ice time. This might go down as one of his biggest goals, becoming the first player in the organization's history with multiple series-clinching overtime winners.