Recap: Quick-Strike Canes Dump Devils

RALEIGH, N.C. - Scoring three times in the second period, the Carolina Hurricanes completed a season sweep of the New Jersey Devils with a 5-2 victory at Lenovo Center on Saturday.

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Entering the middle frame down by one after Timo Meier's tally gave New Jersey the game's first lead late in the first, the Canes' power play evened things up just past the midway point of the contest.

For the second straight game, Nikolaj Ehlers was the first Hurricane on the scoresheet, this time with a laser from the left circle as the team's only man advantage wound down. With the tide turned in favor of the home club, Jackson Blake and Jordan Staal capitalized with goals just 1:25 apart to turn a tense tilt into the only lead Carolina would need.

Holding their foe at bay in the final frame, the Hurricanes jumped ahead by three when Shayne Gostisbehere called his own number on a rush chance at 15:25. Seth Jarvis' empty-netter put the game on ice shortly afterward, despite a garbage-time goal for the Devils in the final minute.

Brandon Bussi stopped 17 shots as he backstopped his second consecutive victory, continuing his bounce-back from a three-game skid.

Stats & Standouts

• Forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the third straight game, his second time doing so this month and third time this season. Now with 23 tallies on the year, the Danish forward sits one shy of matching Sebastian Aho (24 in 2016-17) for the most by a player in their debut season with the franchise. 
• Registering an assist as well, Ehlers also recorded his team-leading fifth multi-point performance of the month and 12th on the year.
• Forward Seth Jarvis lit the lamp to cement his third straight 30-goal season. He's just the sixth player in franchise history to reach that benchmark in three or more consecutive seasons. 
• Forward Jordan Staal notched his 19th goal of the season, his most since 2017-18 (19). His 197th goal with the Hurricanes/Whalers surpassed Geoff Sanderson (196) for sole possession of eighth on the franchise's all-time goal-scoring list and sits one behind Jeff O’Neill (198) for seventh.  
• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere posted a goal and an assist as he returned from a nine-game absence. Carolina's highest-scoring blueliner is up to 45 points in 46 games this season, a point-per-game pace (0.98) that ranks seventh among NHL defensemen (min. 10 games played).
• The Hurricanes have scored a power-play goal in each of their last five outings, leading the league in power-play efficiency (46.7%) in that span. The last time they had a longer streak was an eight-game run from Dec. 23, 2023, to Jan. 11, 2024.

They Said It...

Brandon Bussi giving his assessment of the win...

"(It was a) really good 60 minutes, honestly. I think when we're playing that tight in the neutral zone, in the offensive zone, just staying on them, making it hard for them to have time and space, we have a lot of success. It was great to kind of see that for the majority of the game."

Rod Brind'Amour discussing Shayne Gostisbehere's multi-point return...

"He was very good. He's got his hands all over the offensive things, but he played, I thought, really well away from the puck, too. He's a big part of what we're doing."

Brandon Bussi after picking up a second straight win...

"I feel good right now. Honestly, the last stretch was a combination of some bad bounces and I didn't play as well as I would have liked. When you have both of those going, it's not a good recipe. I've felt good the last few games. I think some pucks have found some holes, and I feel like if I keep playing the way I have, at least the last two games, I'm going to continue to have more success."

Rod Brind'Amour on Bussi's strong showing...

"It's all about making the (saves) you need to, or are supposed to, and then, if you can get a couple of other ones in there, timely ones, that's what really happened in this game. There wasn't a bunch, but a few that could've changed the outcome of the game. He was solid, and that's what we need."

Nikolaj Ehlers after the power play scored for a fifth consecutive contest...

"Power play is about being creative. You do want to have a plan when you get out there, but at the same time, you're going to see different scenarios all the time, and it's about being creative. When you get the puck to the net, create some chaos, get the rebound, that's when they're out of place. It's been going pretty well for our power play..."

Rod Brind'Amour touching on Seth Jarvis reaching the 30-goal mark for a third straight season...

"I'm just happy for him. It's not easy to do in this league... It goes to the consistency of the way he plays every night. [When you play like that], you have a chance to put up numbers like that. Obviously, you've got to be a skilled player, and we know that he is."

What's Next?

• The Canes are right back in action on home ice tomorrow, facing the Canadiens for the second time in six days.
• Next Game: Sunday, March 29 vs. Montreal | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking