With the series returning to Raleigh after the two sides split their pair of games in Newark, the Metropolitan Division Champions had their first opportunity to end the best-of-seven set, entering with a 3-1 lead.
Turning to Frederik Andersen between the pipes for a sixth consecutive affair, Lindy Ruff and the Devils staff went back to Akira Schmid after Vitek Vanecek was pulled in Game 4.
When the action began, Carolina was ready to go, creating chance after chance and knocking on the door on the game-opening tally. However, despite momentum trending all in the direction of the home club in the opening 10-15 minutes, it was New Jersey getting the first goal.
The lone marker of the opening stanza came through the Devils bread and butter, the transition game, with a streaking Dawson Mercer beating his man and tapping a feed home.
But when play resumed for the second period, the Canes got back to their attacking ways and found the equalizer via Jaccob Slavin.
Coming just 50 seconds into the frame, the tally energized Carolina, but New Jersey had a strong counterpunch to it.
The following 15 minutes were almost completely dominated by the visitors, this time taking their turn in generating offense and creating look after look. Timo Meier tapped home a power play goal just minutes later to give the Devils their lead back, and they continued pushing beyond that.
At one point it felt as if they could have had a lead of 4-1 or more, but thankfully, that reality never came to light. Thanks to a combination of missing the net, saves from Andersen, and shots not taken, their advantage remained just one.
Still trailing 2-1, it looked like Carolina was going to head to the third trailing once again and they were going to be forced to find some offense in the final 20 minutes.
Instead, Brent Burns found a timely goal for his group.
