For the second time in 13 days, the Carolina Hurricanes trekked to Newark for a battle with the New Jersey Devils. The Canes emerged victorious the last time, winning 3-1. Tonight, they tried to replicate their game from last night, scoring nine times against the Florida Panthers in a lopsided rout. All 12 forwards recorded a point, and Nikolaj Ehlers notched his sixth hat trick.
Joel Nystrom, who was recalled on Friday, returned to the lineup on Saturday. The rest of the lineup remained the same, including Jaccon Slavin, who is presumably good to go in back-to-backs now. Frederik Andersen took the crease. The Devils countered with Jacob Markstrom, who has been stellar since allowing nine goals to the Islanders earlier in the month.
Andersen was on his game in the first period. He shut down several dangerous chances from the Devils. The Canes' penalty kill picked up where it left off, too, preventing the Devils from getting anything there. The offense didn't record a shot until more than halfway through the frame, but they slowly started to build something as the sides remained scoreless after 20.
It took some time, but the Canes broke the ice in the second. The top line did the work, striking twice in 57 seconds. Both times, Sebastian Aho set up Andrei Svechnikov. The first came as the group tagged up, with Aho and Svechnikov getting ample time and space before a shot beat Markstrom glove-side. Then, Svechnikov snuck one five-hole to double it, giving the Canes a 2-0 lead after two.
Two goals in 57 seconds for Mista Svechnikov 👀 pic.twitter.com/NQRztQtY3m
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 18, 2026
The Devils got on the board early in the third. Timo Meier was initially blocked, but he stuck with it and threw it past a screened Andersen. However, the Canes wouldn't be denied. During a delayed penalty, Jackson Blake got it back, finishing on a slick backhander. Before the Devils could pull Markstrom, Svechnikov completed his hat trick, making the goalie look silly as the Canes sailed to a 4-1 win.
It was a slow start, and Frederik Andersen was there to save the day
Playing in the second half of a back-to-back against a well-rested opponent, you knew the Hurricanes would likely be a step behind the Devils, and they certainly were. The Devils kept the pressure on the Canes from the jump, but Frederik Andersen was ready to go. He made nine stops in the first period, several of the high-quality variety, to hold it down.
His night only got better from there. Andersen made 11 more stops in the second period as his team started to get it rolling. He came up with a big short-handed stop to keep the game scoreless on the team's only power play of the night. When it was all said and done, Andersen made 28 stops on 29 shots, putting in one of his best efforts of the season.
Once they got going, the offense picked it right back up from last night
It took the Canes over 33 minutes to finally break the ice, but they quickly turned the game in their favor. The top line was the reason for it. Andrei Svechnikov recorded his fourth regular-season hat trick, starting with a pair of strikes in under a minute to suddenly turn the game from 0-0 to 2-0. He added his third of the night for the dagger late in the third. Svechnikov also led the team with four hits.
All three of Svechnikov's goals were assisted by Sebastian Aho. Better yet, he picked up the primary helper on each, giving him seven assists this week in four games. Nikolaj Ehlers picked up where he left off last night, making another beautiful pass to Jackson Blake, who is already two goals away from tying his number from last season.
Additional Thoughts
Much like they did during their last visit, the Canes' defense did an outstanding job of keeping the Devils' biggest playmakers in check. Timo Meier had seven shots and a goal, but he's the only one who made an impact. Jack Hughes had three shots and three giveaways. Jesper Bratt had one shot. Nico Hischier had none. It made life much easier for the group tonight.
With tonight's win, the Hurricanes are the first team in the Eastern Conference to 30 wins. Most importantly, the lead in the Metropolitan Division is up to seven points, giving the group some solid separation from the rest of the pack. They outscored Florida and New Jersey 13-2 this weekend, putting everything together to create a magical two days.
Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes open next week with a Monday afternoon tilt against the Buffalo Sabres at the Lenovo Center. They'll get another two-day pause before welcoming Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks to town on Thursday. The week ends with a trip to Ottawa on Saturday before the Canes get a four-day break to slow things down a little.