Exorcising Devils: Hurricanes Complete Season Sweep of Metro Rivals

James Guillory-Imagn Images The Carolina Hurricanes did it again. With their 5-2 win on Saturday, the Hurricanes completed a season series sweep against their Metropolitan Division rival, the New Jersey Devils. The last time they did so was during the 2023-24 season, though the series then only consisted of three games.

During the first period of the game, things were close between the Hurricanes and Devils in terms of pressure and persistence, but a goal from Timo Meier in the late minutes of the frame, thanks to the old-fashioned ‘fly the zone’ strategy, gave the Devils the edge. It was a strategy they continued to implement throughout the game, making things hard for the Hurricanes. But, Carolina proved that rest is a weapon once the rust is dusted off, as they struck back in the second frame – with not just one, but three goals scored throughout the period.

Nikolaj Ehlers was the first to score with a goal on the power play , then came a goal from Jackson Blake in the slot, who was soon followed by Jordan Staal with a magnificent tip-in on a shot from Ehlers. It was a fantastic frame by Carolina offensively and defensively, as they limited the Devils to only five shots. The Final Twenty Minutes Leading the game 3-1 as they went into the third frame, the Hurricanes continued to push offensively.

Shayne Gostisbehere, who was in his first game back after missing nine straight with a lower-body injury, scored Carolina’s fourth goal . However, less than 30 seconds later, he was given a rare charging penalty after landing a shoulder-to-shoulder blow on Evgenii Dadonov, who had the puck at the time of his commitment to the hit. That's not a penalty you see everyday Shayne Gostisbehere was put in the box for charging #CarolinaCulture #NJDevils #NHL pic.