Devils 3, Hurricanes 2: Game on

The Devils were able to grind out a double overtime victory and get themselves right back into the series.

Follow along on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess

Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey with our writers and subscribers.

---

The New Jersey Devils picked up a ‘gotta have it’ win in an overtime thriller Friday night.

Here are a few observations from the victory that got them right back into the series:

The Devils earned their breaks

I’m not sure I’ve been more impressed by a Devils performance in years. They were incredible against the Hurricanes and their sticktuitiveness was truly commendable.

The Devils came out gangbusters from the word go. They were heavy on the forecheck, they spent a lot of time in the offensive zone, and it was their pressure causing the Hurricanes issues breaking out of the zone. They didn’t let the Hurricanes dominate the puck and force them to figure out ways to survive. The shoe was on the other foot.

Rod Brind’Amour did an in-game interview well into the 1st period and he was clearly not happy with the way the Devils were taking it to his team. He noted that if his guys don’t find their game quickly it was going to be a long night.

The Hurricanes were unable to do that before Nico Hischier scored and earned the Devils an early lead for their efforts.

While Carolina had a response in the 2nd period – which was inevitable – the Devils were able to bend but not break, thanks to some great saves from Jacob Markstrom.

That bought them time to find their game again and they were the better team for the vast majority of the remaining time.

Sure, they didn’t absorb Carolina’s push all that well when seeing a 2-0 lead evaporate. Even so, they stuck with it and got right back on the horse.

Despite blowing a multi-goal lead, the Devils outshot the Canes and won the xG battle in the 3rd.

They also completely dominated in overtime to an extent rarely seen. Shot attempts were 33-15, shots on goal were 12-3, Grade B chances were 20-6, xG was 1.09-0.38, and the Devils never conceded a single high-danger opportunity.

The Devils were purposeful with the puck, smothering without it, and it always felt like they were going to be the team to break through.

For the Devils to put forth an effort like that against a possession titan – while playing with five defensemen for a massive chunk of the game – is truly remarkable.

The Devils are right back in this series and for no reason other than they earned it.

Welcome back, Jonas Siegenthaler