Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 27th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The New Jersey Devils are optimistic that the positive momentum they have built leading up to the NHL's holiday break will carry over as they start a two-day, home-and-home series with the third-place Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in Newark, N.J. The Devils, who currently lead the Metropolitan Division, have won five of their last six games, including the previous two by shutouts. In their most recent game, goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped a dozen shots in the Devils' 5-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday. This came just two days after he made 12 saves in a 3-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
According to the league's record book, the Devils have only achieved three consecutive shutouts once before, from April 1-6, 1997. In Monday's win, Jack Hughes scored two goals and added an assist, while Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer each notched a goal and an assist. Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes also recorded a pair of assists. The Devils' offense has been on fire in their last six games, scoring a total of 19 goals in their five wins. However, their defense has been equally impressive, as they have not allowed an opponent to put more than 20 shots on goal in seven games. This is the longest such streak since the NHL began tracking this stat in the 1955-56 season.
Coach Sheldon Keefe was not even aware that the league tracked this stat when he spoke to reporters after the win over the Rangers. He attributed the team's success to their commitment to defending the middle of the rink and preventing the opposition from getting multiple scoring chances. "Whether it's managing the puck well or closing space when we don't have it, it's a tremendous buy-in and commitment from our guys," Keefe said. "We couldn't ask for more in that regard."
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However, the Devils' impressive shot-on-goal streak may be in jeopardy on Friday as they face a Hurricanes team that averages 31.6 shots per game. The Hurricanes are currently on a four-game road trip and are coming off a 5-2 loss against the Nashville Predators on Monday. Despite trailing 4-0 in the third period, the Hurricanes managed to score two quick goals from Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.
After the game, coach Rod Brind'Amour acknowledged that the team has been struggling lately, but he emphasized that it is not due to a lack of effort. "We have to keep working and trying to find the right combinations to spice things up," he said. "We know a couple things that work, and then it's just finding the rest. But (Monday), as a group, we weren't hard enough to play against for the majority of the game, and we got what we deserved."
The holiday break may have come at a good time for Hurricanes' center Martin Necas, who currently leads the team in scoring with 44 points in 34 games. However, the 25-year-old Czech has been in a goal drought for the past eight games and has not recorded an assist in the last four games. He has only one assist in his last six games.
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.