The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs features 16 teams in eight best-of-7 series, which start Saturday. Today, NHL.com previews the Eastern Conference First Round between the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.
(2M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3M) New Jersey Devils
Hurricanes: 47-29-5, 99 points
Devils: 42-33-7, 91 points
Season series: CAR: 2-2-0, NJD: 2-2-0
Game 1: Sunday at Carolina (3 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, SN360, TVAS, FDSNSO, MSGSN)
The Carolina Hurricanes are hoping to have history repeat, and the New Jersey Devils are looking to change the narrative, in the 2025 Eastern Conference First Round.
It's the sixth time the teams will play one another in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina has won the past four series, most recently the 2023 Eastern Conference Second Round in five games. New Jersey won the first series, the 2001 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, in six.
"It will be challenging," Devils captain Nico Hischier said. "We know they're a very hard team to play against. They don't give you much time and we just got to be ready, up to the challenge. We got to be skating, they're a good skating team as well, so it'll be a fast game out there. They don't give you much room and we just got to be ready for that."
If the regular season was any indication, it should be a tough best-or-7 series. Each team won two games at home: Carolina 4-2 on Oct. 15 and 5-2 on Dec. 28; and New Jersey by identical 4-2 scores on Nov. 21 and Dec. 27.
"I would categorize them as a team that is easy to prepare for, in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. "There are no real surprises. This is a team we haven't played in a while. We were diligent about our notes and the things we wanted to keep on file and keep at the top of our mind from the last time we played them."
The Devils' success will hinge on how well they can manage offensive-zone time without center Jack Hughes, who is out for the remainder of the season after shoulder surgery March 5.
Their biggest change this postseason is in goal. Jacob Markstrom was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on June 19 and is 26-16-6 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 49 games (all starts) this season. They added size and toughness during the offseason (6-foot-1 forward Stefan Noesen and 6-4 defenseman Brenden Dillon). The series also will likely be an emotional one for defenseman Brett Pesce, who signed a six-year contract with New Jersey on July 1 after nine seasons with Carolina.
The Hurricanes are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for eighth in the NHL in goals per game (3.22) and rank first in takeaways (452). Sebastian Aho leads them with 74 points and Seth Jarvis is first with 32 goals. Ten players scored at least 10 goals. Left wing Taylor Hall has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 30 games since being acquired in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 24. Shutdown center and Carolina captain Jordan Staal (36 points) is invaluable this time of season and a proven playoff performer.
"I think that's the beauty of playoffs," Staal said. "It's incredibly hard to make it there, for one. We were going full throttle when we showed up to camp, and now it's kind of like you have to run a second race."
There's also plenty of experience on an underrated defense corps with Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Shayne Gostisbehere and Dmitry Orlov, who have each played more than nine NHL seasons.
The Devils will likely have defenseman Dougie Hamilton for Game 1 after he missed 18 games with a lower-body injury. Hamilton returned with 11 shots (four on goal) and four blocks in 23:42 of a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the regular-season finale Wednesday.
In three of the previous five matchups between the Hurricanes and Devils, the team that advanced reached the Stanley Cup Final (New Jersey in 2001; Carolina in 2002, 2006). The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
"When you're winning games, you believe you're a good team," Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook said. "Once you've kind of set the standard that you're a playoff team, you don't ever want to go back to not being a playoff team. It's the funnest time of year for a reason, and you never don't want to be there. If you believe you're a good team and you put the work in, the results usually speak for themselves."
Game breakers
Hurricanes: Jarvis gets the nod for being such a proven goal scorer on the top line with Aho and rookie Jackson Blake. He's dangerous on the penalty kill (seven short-handed points; five goals), an exceptional playmaker with a good release and a bona fide game-changer. Jarvis is second on Carolina in points (67), fifth in takeaways (32), sixth in hits (93) and eighth in blocked shots (51).
