RALEIGH, N.C. — Rod Brind’Amour witnessed a dismal opening period from his Carolina Hurricanes, leaving them trailing by three goals in a crucial game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on home turf.
When reflecting on what he anticipated for the second period, he candidly remarked, “Anything.”
Not only was his expectation met, but it was surpassed, culminating in Sebastian Aho’s decisive goal that ultimately ousted the New Jersey Devils from the playoffs. Aho delivered a powerful one-timer past Jacob Markstrom, scoring at 4:17 in the second overtime. This victory, with a 5-4 score, allowed the Hurricanes to close out their first-round series in just five games.
Aho’s pivotal goal, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere, came during a four-minute power play following a double-minor high-sticking penalty inflicted by Dawson Mercer. This penalty sent Jesperi Kotkaniemi off the ice. The triumph here marked Carolina’s only lead in a tumultuous game, ensuring their progress to the second round.
“Unreal,” Aho expressed excitedly. “For a moment, it’s like a blackout. The crowd erupts, teammates celebrating, and it’s just an incredible feeling.”
With this win, Carolina became the first to advance to the second round, poised to play against the victor of the Montreal-Washington series, where the Capitals are ahead 3-1. The Hurricanes also managed to extend their streak, being just the fourth team in league history to secure a series win for seven consecutive postseasons, an achievement last seen with the Montreal Canadiens’ 10-year streak from 1984-93.
The Devils initially seized a 3-0 lead within the first ten minutes, only to witness Carolina’s explosive response with four goals in a chaotic second period that leveled the score. The game then settled into a grueling battle through the third period and the extra time before Aho’s second power-play goal of the night brought the final resolution.
In the midst of the Hurricanes’ goals were contributions from Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake, and Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina stands as one of four teams with playoff appearances stretching over at least seven consecutive years, being the sole one among them to win at least one series each postseason.
“Proud of the group for digging in,” Brind’Amour commented. “When faced with a 3-0 deficit, it would’ve been easy to think ahead to the remaining potential games, but they pushed through.”
“We’re just not like that,” said 21-year-old Blake, who managed his first-ever playoff goal, slipping the puck between the left post and Markstrom’s right shoulder. “We won in a cool way tonight, it was awesome.”
This marked the second instance in three seasons that the Hurricanes eliminated the Devils in Raleigh with a decisive overtime goal in a five-game series. The prior event was during the second round in 2023.
Carolina claimed the series’ first two games at home, while New Jersey captured Game 3 in double overtime. However, a 3-0 lead in Game 4 set the Devils on the brink, despite Carolina losing goalie Frederik Andersen due to an injury resulting from Timo Meier’s hit.
New Jersey, though troubled with injuries, performed admirably on the road in Games 2 and 5, but ultimately came up short.
“We put up two solid games on the road here, so falling short is difficult,” remarked rookie Devils coach Sheldon Keefe. “Our guys left everything out there. They were drained in overtime, yet continued to fight. Marky was exceptional, and there’s much to be proud of.”
Mercer, Timo Meier, and Stefan Noesen scored in New Jersey’s early outburst, with Nico Hischier regaining a 4-3 lead in the second period for them, briefly halting Carolina’s momentum.
Markstrom regrouped after his tough second period, finishing with 49 saves for the Devils. He was a crucial last line of defense during the first overtime as Carolina relentlessly fired shots with their series hopes on the line. Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis also narrowly missed a golden opportunity, hitting the post late in the first overtime.
Carolina amassed a 34-12 shot advantage past the second period, relentlessly challenging Markstrom until Aho’s goal concluded the marathon. His response to this outcome involved breaking his stick against the pipes, followed by Aho’s jubilant skate to celebrate.
“In that first overtime, we were really under siege,” Keefe reflected. “Markstrom was phenomenal, keeping us in the fight.”
Pyotr Kochetkov recorded 31 saves for Carolina, earning his first playoff start.