Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
After a much-needed break, the New Jersey Devils found themselves slipping in the Metropolitan Division standings as the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals surged ahead.
In an attempt to regain their share of the division lead and cool off the Hurricanes, the Devils will face off against them on Thursday night in Newark, N.J.
The Devils have been on a break since Saturday when they suffered a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Meanwhile, the Hurricanes will be completing a back-to-back road set after a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, thanks to three third-period goals.
The first quarter of the season has been a success for the Devils under first-year head coach Sheldon Keefe, with a record of 12-7-2. However, the busy schedule has them already trying to catch up to the Hurricanes and Capitals, who each have three games in hand.
On Monday, the Capitals overtook the Devils with a 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club, while the Hurricanes claimed sole possession of first place on Wednesday.
Keefe expressed hope that the break would rejuvenate the Devils, who currently hold a one-point lead over the fourth-place New York Rangers. However, the Rangers have four games in hand.
"The first 20 games of the season have been demanding for us, with a pace that has been more intense than the rest of the league," Keefe said after Tuesday's practice. "This is a chance for us to take a breath."
The Hurricanes have been on a roll, winning their last three games against the Flyers, Ottawa Senators, and St. Louis Blues by a combined score of 12-2.
On Wednesday, the Hurricanes got off to a quick start with a goal from Jalen Chatfield just 30 seconds into the game. However, they didn't score again until Sebastian Aho's game-winning goal 1:03 into the third period.
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"The key is to restart every night. Even for tomorrow, we have to take what we can learn from this game and apply it," Chatfield said. "We can't dwell on the past, and we have a lot of experienced players and leaders who bring it every night. Some nights may not start off well, but we always find our game and once we do, we're fine."
Following Aho's goal, Jordan Staal and Jack Roslovic scored within 55 seconds of each other, giving the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead in the third period. They outshot the Flyers 20-15 in the first two periods and 17-4 in the third.
"I liked how we responded in the third period. I wasn't a fan of the first two periods, but we have to give credit to the other team for doing their thing," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said after the game. "But I thought it was a good collective effort in the third period."
The Hurricanes have been an offensive powerhouse this season, scoring 72 goals, tied for second in the Eastern Conference. They have scored at least four goals in 12 of their last 13 games, with a record of 11-2-0 during that stretch.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Recap JAN 1TH 2023
Andrei Svechnikov scored the lone goal in the shootout as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes extended their franchise-record winning streak with a 5-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday in Newark, N.J.
Derek Stepan scored twice while Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas also tallied for the Hurricanes, who have won 11 straight and recorded a point in 17 straight games (15-0-2) -- also a franchise record. Antti Raanta made 24 saves before stopping all three Devils attempts in the shootout.
Jesper Bratt scored twice and Jack Hughes and captain Nico Hischier added a goal apiece for the Devils, who are 2-7-2 in their last 11 games overall. Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 42 saves.
Stepan scored his first goal off an assist from Stefan Noesen to cap a 2-on-1 rush exactly eight minutes into the second period.
Hughes tied the score at 1-1 just 8:18 later after backhanding a shot past Raanta.
Aho put the visitors ahead by scoring a quirky unassisted short-handed goal with 1:46 left in the second period. Aho picked off Hughes in the neutral zone and couldn't catch up to the skittering puck as Blackwood wound up for a clearing pass. But Blackwood only got a piece of the puck and Aho pounced and fired into a wide-open net.
The teams combined for three goals in a span of just 2:23 early in the third. Bratt tied the game at the 6:15 mark by firing a shot under Raanta's arm.
Stepan gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead just 1:49 later after he cleaned up the rebound of a shot by Noesen, who'd redirected a shot from just inside the blue line by Calvin de Haan. Hischier tied the score again 34 seconds later with a wraparound shot that trickled under Raanta.
Bratt gave the Devils their first lead at 3-2 with 6:12 left, when his shot sailed over the glove of Raanta as he was screened by Brent Burns. The Hurricanes took advantage of a 4-on-3 opportunity to tie the game on Necas' goal 1:44 later.
Both teams had multiple chances to win during a frantic overtime in which they combined for six shots. Raanta turned away a Hughes backhand at the doorstep to create a breakaway opportunity for Jaccob Slavin, who was stopped by Blackwood. Seth Jarvis and Dougie Hamilton each had point-blank shots denied in the final 30 seconds.