After a gritty 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes the night before, the New Jersey Devils (24-12-3) fell to Carolina (22-13-1) in the second leg of their home-and-home series. The Devils looked promising to start the game but let it slip away due to penalties and frustration late in the match.
First Period
Both teams played aggressively in the first period but neither could gain a steady foothold in the offensive zone. The result was a lot of low-danger shots in outnumbered situations.
The strong defensive structures of the Hurricanes and Devils kept the offense along the boards. The Devils got their most dangerous look in the latter half of the period when Dougie Hamilton threw the puck into the mixer in front of the net which Nico Hischier almost redirected. The Hurricanes responded with looks from William Carrier and Jordan Martinook on a defensive breakdown in front of Jake Allen. Neither team capitalized. Timo Meier took a tripping penalty late in the period but the Hurricanes couldn’t do anything with their first power play of the night.
While the teams generated a lot of volume in the first period, it was nothing the netminders couldn’t handle. The Hurricanes got the lion’s share of possession with a 60.53 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and a 51.59 expected goal percentage (xG%) at five-on-five.
Second Period
Paul Cotter broke the ice in the opening minutes of the second frame, intercepting the puck in the neutral zone before beating two Carolina defenders on a breakaway and finishing with a perfectly placed shot over Dustin Tokarski’s right pad.
The ice opened up after that first goal, with both teams getting high-danger chances with numbers. The Devils’ and Hurricanes’ penalty killers put on a show in the second period, exchanging a couple of odd-man rushes and almost-goals with the other team on the man advantage. Carolina created even more momentum by killing off a Jacob Slavin interference penalty late in the period.
Dimitry Orlov tied the game at one apiece with 30 seconds to play in the period, one-timing a pass from Sean Walker through the gap between Allen’s glove and the post.
The Devils got their first goal but played a worse second period according to the possession numbers, notching a CF% of 30 and a 33.07 xG%. They also missed out on a couple of power plays due to blown calls against Carolina, reducing their scoring opportunities.
Third Period
The Devils wasted no time retaking the lead to start the third period, with Jesper Bratt driving to the net and sliding the puck along the crease to a waiting Ondrej Palat, who buried it.
Sebastian Aho quickly responded for the Hurricanes, skating into the middle of the ice with three Devils defenders on his tail and placing an absolutely perfect shot off the top of Allen’s stick and in to tie the game 2-2.
Minutes later, Timo Meier laid Martin Necas out in the neutral zone with a big hit. The game continued with New Jersey on the puck for about a minute before the refs blew the play dead. The result was a game misconduct for Timo Meier and a five-minute major for kneeing, though, on all angles of the replay, the call was rightfully scrutinized after the game. Jesperi Kotkaniemi took a roughing call in the aftermath of the play, so the teams would play two minutes of four-on-four before the Hurricanes got a three-minute power play.
Neither team scored during the four-on-four, and New Jersey killed off most of the penalty before Jackson Blake tipped a shot from Kotkaniemi past Allen to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead. The game fell off the rails for New Jersey after that debacle as the defensive structure broke down as the Devils needed to push the pace to try to tie the game. The Canes created a two-on-one chance less than two minutes later, and Seth Jarvis capitalized to give the Hurricanes a 4-2 lead.
Frustration mounted on the ice in the last stretch of the game between two teams that have had bad blood in recent history. Erik Haula planted a high hit on Orlov and everyone on the ice came together after the play. Orlov came right back at Haula as the refs skated him out of trouble, resulting in offsetting roughing penalties. It didn’t end up mattering as Carolina scored the empty-netter to ice the game.
The Devils played a solid first half of the period before they sold the game after the Meier hit. They earned a CF% of 52 and a 52.76 xG% at five-on-five in the third frame.
Results
It’s difficult to beat a good team twice, especially a team like Carolina. Ultimately, the Devils just couldn’t get enough offense going early in the game to make up for their collapse down the stretch. They took a 2-1 lead to start the third period but quickly relinquished it. Saturday night’s loss ends a three-game win streak but they’ll get some relief against Anaheim to end the year.
The Devils now own a 24-12-3 record and still sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. The Hurricanes are now 22-13-1 and maintain third place in the division with 45 points.
Game Notes
- The referees were certainly the center of attention Saturday night. Not only was the Meier penalty highly scrutinized but there seemed to be a lot let go early that could have been called. Then there was the handling of the Haula hit on Orlov. Certainly not a good night for the lads in stripes.
- Jack Roslovic had a good night for Carolina, potting two goals and an assist including the empty-netter. He led the Hurricanes with a Game Score of 4.92.
- Sebastian Aho, a known Devil-killer, also had a decent night, tallying a goal and an assist.
Up Next
The Devils will travel to Anaheim for a New Year’s Eve matchup on Tuesday.