It's official! The Carolina Hurricanes' first-round opponent has been set in stone as they begin their pursuit of the franchise's second Stanley Cup against a very familiar opponent. Meeting in the battle between the second- and third-place teams in the Metropolitan Division, the Hurricanes will open the playoffs against the New Jersey Devils
This is the sixth time the Hurricanes and the Devils have met in the postseason, breaking the tie with the Bruins for the most frequent opponent of the Canes in the playoffs. For context, the Canes have made the playoffs 12 times, including this season, meaning they've faced the Devils in half of their berths since 1997.
The sides split the season series this year, with the home team winning all four games. Jesper Bratt recorded a point in all four meetings, scoring two goals and adding five assists. Jacob Markstrom started three of the four games, allowing seven goals and posting a .916 save percentage. Jackson Blake scored in both home games, including his first NHL goal in the second game of the season.
Historically, postseason meetings have favored the Hurricanes. The Devils won their first encounter in 2001, taking a 3-0 lead and winning in six games on their way to winning the conference and losing in seven games to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 Stanley Cup Final. Martin Brodeur was nearly unbeatable in that series, shutting out the Canes twice and allowing eight total goals.
Since then, the Canes have won each series. Their meetings in 2002, 2006, and 2009 all yielded incredible moments in team history. In 2002, Kevin Weekes made "The Save" in Game 5 before the Canes won in six games. In 2006, Carolina dominated in five, though Game 2 required a last-second tying goal from Eric Staal. In 2009, "The Shock at the Rock" helped the Canes prevail in seven.
This won't be like 2023
It took 14 years for the two teams to collide again, doing so in the second round in 2023. By all standards, this was an ugly series. It wasn't ugly in that the two teams got into a lot of fights. It was ugly in the sense that the first four games were absolute blowouts. The Canes won Games 1 and 2 by a combined 11-2. The Devils responded with an 8-4 win in Game 3, but the Canes won Game 4, 6-1.
The only close encounter during that series was Game 5 in Raleigh. Jaccob Slavin scored early in the second period, and Brent Burns scored late in the frame as the game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. The Canes finished the series in overtime on the power play. Jesperi Kotkaniemi's shot hit Jesper Fast's pants and went into the net to send the Canes to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Devils will be without Jack Hughes, who missed the final month of the season after a scary crash into the boards in Vegas. Their defense has also taken a hit. Jonas Siegenthaler has been out for a while. The team thought they'd be without Dougie Hamilton for at least the first round, but he's improved much quicker than some anticipated. His status is still up in the air.
This year's encounter should be much closer than it was in 2023. New Jersey's goalie situation is a big reason for that. After acquiring Jacob Markstrom during the offseason, the Devils went from being near the bottom of the league in goals allowed to the top. Jake Allen as the backup creates a better tandem than the Vitek Vanecek-Akira Schmid duo the Canes faced and lit up.
With the season series split and no meetings during the new year, there is plenty of built-up energy that should ready to spill out when Game 1 begins. One thing is certain though. The fans will be ready to turn the Lenovo Center into the loudest house in the NHL. This Devils team won't go quietly, so the Canes need to match their intensity if they want to see the second round.