Preview: Devils at Hurricanes - Game 1

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ROUND 1

NEW JERSEY DEVILS at CAROLINA HURRICANES

Series: 0-0

New Jersey begins postseason action in Carolina against the Hurricanes to open the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

You can watch on MSGSN and ESPN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below.

WATCH & LISTEN

TV: MSGSN, ESPN 

RADIO: Devils Hockey Network 

The Devils and Hurricanes open their First Round series this afternoon.

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RALEIGH, N.C. - It’s time to play the game. All the talk, preparation, practice and anticipation will be over as Game 1 is about to begin between the Devils and Carolina in Round One. And as the time winds down, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe wants his team to know that they’re ready.

“I want them to know that they’re prepared,” Keefe said. “They put in a lot of work to earn the opportunity to be here. We know what we’re in for. We’re prepared for that as well. We just have to go out and perform and execute.”

Down the Lineup

The Devils open the postseason on the road. Which not only means they’ll be playing in front of a rowdy and cacophonous crowd, but they’ll also have to make the first line changes. Thus, Carolina can get the matchups it wants.

That means the club’s top two lines will likely draw very difficult defensive assignments from the Hurricanes.

“On the road, you don’t have last change,” Keefe said. “You’re going to have to take some shifts against some of their best people and manage that.”

Carolina will certainly key in on shutting down Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer’s lines. That means that the Cody Glass and Justin Dowling lines will get more favorable matchups. And their play could be the deciding factor in the series.

“We need our entire group,” Keefe said. “It really doesn’t matter who it is, different games, different periods, different moments, it’s going to be different guys. If you’re going to succeed, you’re going to have all sorts of people step up. In some cases, it’s going to be the unexpected.”

Markstrom v. Andersen

Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed that his team will start 35-year-old veteran goalie Frederik Andersen. But regardless of who starts in goal, the difficulty for the Devils is just find their way to the net.

“The greatest challenge against Carolina is getting to the goaltender. You have waves of pressure to find your way through,” Keefe said. “That’s what our focus is. If we get to the net, it’s all the things you talk about with any goaltender, traffic, rebounds, make him move. We have a task to find our way to put some stress on him.”

Beat the Odds

Many of the hockey media are picking Carolina to win the series. But the Devils have a lot of belief in themselves and in the locker room.

“We think our team has been resilient all year,” Keefe said. “We have a great deal of respect for the opponent and the challenges they present. But we have a good club too. We’re played well on the road. We’re going to have to play well on the road in a very difficult environment.

“We’re not going to go away. We’re going to stand our ground.”

THE SCOOP

The Devils are set to begin their quest for the Stanley Cup with a Round 1 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes — a familiar foe that eliminated them from the playoffs just two years ago. Game 1 is set for Sunday afternoon in Raleigh.

New Jersey finished third in the Metropolitan Division and comes into the postseason having tightened up their game significantly under head coach Sheldon Keefe. The Devils ended the year with the fifth-best goals-against average in the league (2.68), a massive leap forward from their 26th-place finish in that category just one season ago.

The team has also leaned heavily on its special teams. New Jersey ranked third in the NHL on the power play (28.2%) and second on the penalty kill (82.7%). That’s a strong contrast from Carolina’s 25th-ranked power play, though the Hurricanes did finish first overall on the penalty kill

Jesper Bratt paced the Devils in scoring during the regular season with 88 points, while Nico Hischier led the team with 35 goals. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, acquired in the offseason, helped solidify the crease and gives New Jersey added playoff experience and stability.

Carolina, meanwhile, finished second in the Metro and continues to be one of the most consistent teams in the league. The Canes are fast, structured, and extremely stingy defensively, allowing the fewest shots against per game in the NHL.

Each team won two games in the regular-season series, with the home team victorious every time. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center.

SERIES SCHEDULE

Game 1: Devils at Hurricanes, April 20, 3 p.m. ET
Game 2: Devils at Hurricanes, April 22, 6 p.m. ET
Game 3: Hurricanes at Devils, April 25, 8 p.m. ET
Game 4: Hurricanes at Devils, April 27, 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Devils at Hurricanes, April 29, time TBD*
Game 6: Hurricanes at Devils, May 2, time TBD*
Game 7: Devils at Hurricanes, May 4, time TBD*

*If necessary

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Timo Meier has four goals and six points in his last five games entering the playoffs.

Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis had a three-game scoring streak in his final three games played of the regular season, compiling six points (2g-4a).

INJURIES

Devils: J.Hughes (shoulder, LTIR), Siegenthaler (undisclosed, LTIR)

Hurricanes: Fast (neck, LTIR), Gostisbehere (upper-body)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

REGULAR-SEASON STATS LEADERS

STATS LEADERS
DEVILS
HURRICANES
Goals
Hischier, 35
Jarvis, 32
Assists
Bratt, 67
Aho, 45
Points
Bratt, 88
Aho, 74