Cardiac Cane
Fansided

Carolina Hurricanes Rivalries Series: New Jersey Devils

By Zac Hynus

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 10: Petr Mrazek #34 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes a save as Kyle Palmieri #21 of the New Jersey Devils looks for the rebound during the game at Prudential Center on February 10, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 10: Petr Mrazek #34 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes a save as Kyle Palmieri #21 of the New Jersey Devils looks for the rebound during the game at Prudential Center on February 10, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The rivalry between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils has amplified over the course of the last 21 years. Lets take a look at this rivalries heated history.

When it come to creating rivalries in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes are at a disadvantage due to its relative geographic isolation. The closest team, the Washington Capitals, is located 274 miles away. Luckily, the Hurricanes have created a few rivalries with their play on the ice.

If you look at the playoff history of the Carolina Hurricanes, one team appears four out of the six times the Hurricanes qualified. The New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes have been thorns in each others sides on multiple occasions leading to some very heated playoff matchups.

2001

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – MAY 12: Brian Rafalski #28 of the New Jersey Devils fights with Jeff O’Neill #92 of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2001 NHL Playoffs on May 12, 2001 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Devils won 5-1. (Photo by Jaime Squire/Getty Images/NHLI)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – MAY 12: Brian Rafalski #28 of the New Jersey Devils fights with Jeff O’Neill #92 of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2001 NHL Playoffs on May 12, 2001 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Devils won 5-1. (Photo by Jaime Squire/Getty Images/NHLI) /

For only the second time after relocating to North Carolina, the Hurricanes earned a spot in the playoffs meeting the New Jersey Devils in the first round. This would also the first playoff series in the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena after the Hurricanes moved into the arena in 1999.

New Jersey entered as the top seed in the east and the defending Stanley Cup champions. On the flip side, the Hurricanes were the eight seed sneaking into the playoffs by having the tiebreaker against the Bruins.

The Devils shot out to a three to nothing  games lead in the series, but the Hurricanes rallied to win games four and five. However, the devils shut the door in game 6.

2002

RALEIGH-APRIL 17: Arturs Irbe #1 of the Carolina Hurricanes saves a shot while John Madden #11 of the New Jersey Devils is upended during game one of the Stanley Cup playoffs at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 17, 2002. The Hurricanes won 2-1. (Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images/NHLI)
RALEIGH-APRIL 17: Arturs Irbe #1 of the Carolina Hurricanes saves a shot while John Madden #11 of the New Jersey Devils is upended during game one of the Stanley Cup playoffs at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 17, 2002. The Hurricanes won 2-1. (Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images/NHLI) /

After the heated matchup the year before, the Hurricanes and Devils once again meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Hurricanes entered as the third seed after winning the southeast division for the first time, and the Devils ended up as the sixth seed although having more regular season points that the Hurricanes.

Trying to get revenge for the previous years playoff loss, the Hurricanes won both game one and two in Raleigh only to lose the next two in East Rutherford, NJ. Then, the goalie tandem of Arturs Irbe and Kevin Weekes shut the door in games five and six to give the Hurricanes their first playoff series win and revenge for the previous year.

The series loss was the first time in two years the Devils didn’t make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. This bothered many Devils fans as they watched the Carolina Hurricanes win the eastern conference before falling to the Detroit Red Wings in the finals.

2006

New Jersey Devils’ Jamie Langenbrunner #15 checks Carolina Hurricanes’ Niclas Wallin #7 in the first period of game four in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ on Saturday, May 13, 2006. The Devils defeated Carolina 5-1. (Photo by Richard Schultz/NHLImages)
New Jersey Devils’ Jamie Langenbrunner #15 checks Carolina Hurricanes’ Niclas Wallin #7 in the first period of game four in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ on Saturday, May 13, 2006. The Devils defeated Carolina 5-1. (Photo by Richard Schultz/NHLImages) /

After the lockout of 2004-05, hockey fans were desperate for some great playoff hockey, and the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs produced. Entering the ’06 playoffs the Hurricanes and Devil both won their respective division and many people expected them to meet in the playoffs for a third time in six years.

Coming off of victories against the Canadians and the Rangers respectively, many thought that this series could go either way. With hot handed rookie goalie Cam Ward in the net for the Hurricanes, he was a stark contrast to the veteran Martin Brodeur for New Jersey. However, the offence and physicality of the Hurricanes got the better of the Devils.

After the Hurricanes swept games one and two with a goal total of 9-2, the Devils split the next two games before losing in game 5 and the series to the Hurricanes four games to one. The Hurricanes went on to win their first ever Stanley Cup.

2009

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Eric Staal (12) celebrates after he scored against the New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur (30) and Mike Mottau (27) during third period action in Game 7 of the NHL playoffs at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The Hurricanes beat the Devils 4-3 to win the best-of-seven series, four games to three. (Photo by Chris Seward/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT via Getty Images)
The Carolina Hurricanes’ Eric Staal (12) celebrates after he scored against the New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur (30) and Mike Mottau (27) during third period action in Game 7 of the NHL playoffs at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The Hurricanes beat the Devils 4-3 to win the best-of-seven series, four games to three. (Photo by Chris Seward/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT via Getty Images) /

When many think of the rivalry between the Hurricanes and the Devils, two moments will probably come to mind. Jussi Jokinen scoring as the time expires and “The Shock at the Rock,” but many forget how entertaining the series was as a whole.

The Hurricanes and Devils meeting in the first round, for the third time in a decade, intrigued many people as these two teams had very competitive regular season matchups. Plus with their first playoff appearance since winning the Stanley Cup in ’06, the Hurricanes were hungry to prove that they belonged.

The series lived up to its billing with two overtimes, goals galore, plus the fore mentioned Jussi Jokinen buzzer beater and the Martin Brodeur tirade after. However, game 7 in New Jersey will forever be in the minds of Devils and Hurricanes fans. The image of Eric Staal‘s goal to win the series for Carolina is one of pure joy on one side and pure hatred for the other.

2019 and the Future

RALEIGH, NC – APRIL 04: Carolina Hurricanes Center Lucas Wallmark (71) and Carolina Hurricanes Goalie Petr Mrazek (34) celebrate after the Carolina Hurricanes clinch their first playoff birth since 2009 during a game between the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on April 4, 2019. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – APRIL 04: Carolina Hurricanes Center Lucas Wallmark (71) and Carolina Hurricanes Goalie Petr Mrazek (34) celebrate after the Carolina Hurricanes clinch their first playoff birth since 2009 during a game between the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on April 4, 2019. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Hurricanes-Devils rivalry has simmered in the last few years with both the Hurricanes and Devils having up and down years, but the future looks bright for this rivalry and it started on the last game of the 2019 regular season .

The Hurricanes clinched their first trip to the playoffs in ten years with a win against New Jersey Devils, and with the very interesting offseason for both teams could signal towards this rivalries fire returning in the upcoming 2019-2020 season.

Must Read. Carolina Hurricanes: Raleigh is Ready for Outdoor Hockey. light

Question for the Cardiac Cane Readers: What was your favorite Canes-Devils rivalry moment?

Home/History