The Carolina Hurricanes Stick Around But Fall 4-2 to the New Jersey Devils

After soaring past the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes returned to the ice on Thursday to battle the New Jersey Devils for the second time. The Canes earned their first win of the season against the Devils in October, a 4-2 decision that included Jackson Blake's first NHL goal. They were hoping to repeat their performance to ensure another winning road trip.

With it being the second half of a back-to-back and Pyotr Kochetkov starting in Philly, Spencer Martin took his turn in the net. Martin posted his first career shutout in his last outing, a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Jacob Markstrom stood opposite him for the Devils, playing his 500th game. This also marked the first time Brett Pesce would play against the Canes after signing with New Jersey in the offseason.

For a game featuring a team that played last night and a team that hadn't played since Saturday, the Hurricanes were better to start the game. An early Andrei Svechnikov breakaway chance led to an excellent power play sans scoring. A lucky bounce off the post behind Martin kept the game scoreless and allowed the Canes to take it the other way and score. Jack Roslovic knocked home a rebound after Dmitry Orlov's shot hit a mass of humanity in front of Markstrom.

While the Hurricanes dominated the early portion of the contest, all it took was one miscue in their defensive end to give the Devils life. Roslovic failed to clear the puck, turning it over to Ondrej Palat as he kept the puck in the zone. Palat found Jack Hughes in front of the net for a 2-on-1 before pushing it to Jesper Bratt with a wide-open net to tie the game with 5:15 left in the period.

The problem compounded in the final two minutes as Shayne Gostisbehere was called for high-sticking and Jordan Staal was called for tripping, giving New Jersey an extended 5-on-3 to begin the second period. The Canes came one second away from killing the two-man disadvantage, but an all-world pass from Hughes found Stefan Noesen on the doorstep as he knocked it past Martin 47 seconds into the frame.

The Canes looked like they were stuck in quicksand for most of the second period, but were still just one shot behind heading into the third. That one shot would come 12 seconds into the final period of regulation on the power play. Martin Necas executed a set play perfectly, passing the puck off the end boards from the defensive zone for Andrei Svechnikov to skate into. Svechnikov snapped it off the bar and into the net to get the Canes knotted with the Devils.

Unfortunately, the Devils found a way to pull away. Dougie Hamilton clapped a one-timer over Martin's shoulder midway through the period to put New Jersey back in front. Bratt would provide the dagger, scoring his second of the night from the slot on the power play to extend the Devils's lead to two goals. The Canes pushed, but Markstrom stood tall in Game #500 to end the Canes' win streak.

The Hurricanes' start was good, but it was evident that the New Jersey Devils hadn't played in a few days because they had their legs for the final two-thirds of the game. They were also willing to get in front of the puck, blocking 25 shots and preventing some great chances for the Canes. It's always tough playing back-to-backs. The Devils' skill took over and took advantage of the Canes' fatigue.

With the news surrounding Frederik Andersen's surgery before the game, Spencer Martin's performance was going to be under a microscope. There's only so much he can do on the goals, but I have to give him flack for the game-winner. Hamilton's shot was placed perfectly. However, the play likely doesn't materialize if Martin doesn't mishandle the puck behind the net. He had a few tough moments handling the puck and this one proved to be costly. You'd also like a save on Bratt's dagger on the power play, even if Bratt is a sniper.

Rod Brind'Amour threw his forward lines in the blender for the second straight night. It worked against the Flyers. It didn't have the same magic in New Jersey. It'll be interesting to see how he starts Saturday's game in Columbus. I'd like to see Jackson Blake spend extended time on a line with Sebastian Aho. He has looked good in Seth Jarvis' spot on the power play and the two have played together for short spurts at even strength. As long as he can be disciplined with his stick, putting Blake with Aho could show a serious level of trust in the rookie.

Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will aim to finish their road trip on a positive note against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Jackets engaged in a thrilling 7-6 overtime victory with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, so they'll be feeling themselves offensively. Thanksgiving week is going to be daunting, with the Stars and the Rangers in town before Thanksgiving and a home-and-home with the Florida Panthers on Friday and Saturday.