NEWARK, N.J. - "Win one game and it's a series."
That's what Nico Hischier said on Thursday afternoon as his team prepared for the Game 3 matchup at Prudential Center, the Round One series shifting to New Jersey from Carolina.
And the Devils played with an intensity that met the moment in the series.
Playing shorthanded, with just five defensemen after the opening period when Johnny Kovacevic left with an injury, it was only fitting that, in double-overtime, having played over 80 minutes of hockey, it was the youngest player on both rosters - and a defenseman - who called game.
Simon Nemec scored the double overtime winner at 2:36 for the 3-2 victory and cut the Hurricanes' lead in the Round One series to 2-1.
"I’m just so impressed with our team tonight," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "The defense in particular, obviously. So fitting that Nemec gets the game winner for us. Our whole team, just the way that we dug in here tonight, stayed with it. I thought the forwards did their part to help take care of the D, but those guys digging in."
“It was an amazing feeling,” Nemec said. “Especially in this tough season for me. But really big win for us. An important win.”
Nico Hischier started the work on Friday night, opening the scoring in Game 3 in the first period.
After a goalless second period, Dawson Mercer quickly doubled the Devils lead at 1:20 of the third period.
Seth Jarvis scored a power-play goal with a snapshot at 6:11 of the third to bring Carolina within one. Sebastian Aho scored a second power-play goal to tie the game and send it to sudden-death overtime.
"We really digged in deep tonight," Hischier said. "Big win for us, but now it’s all about recovery and do it again."
But one game does not a series make. And as proud as Keefe was of his team the way they dug in during this game, he knows they've only just begun.
“We’ll wake up tomorrow, we’re still in a deficit in this series and we’ll have to regroup quickly and have our best game of the series on Sunday," he said. "Right now, all we’ve earn is another trip back to Carolina. We need to build on this.”
But at least, as Nico said:
It's a series.