Hurricanes' penalty kill provides spark against Devils in Game 2 win

RALEIGH, N.C. -- It's rare that a penalty-killing unit can so consistently turn disadvantages into game-changing sequences.

The penalty kill of the Carolina Hurricanes is the exception.

The top penalty-killing unit during the regular season (83.6 percent) has been equally swarming in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and was again a key factor in a 3-1 win against the New Jersey Devils in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Lenovo Center on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes denied the Devils on three power-play chances, and Jordan Martinook scored a short-handed goal that proved decisive on the way to grabbing a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 of the best-of-7 series will be at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MAX, MSGSN, TBS, TVAS2, SN360).

"They create pressure, have good sticks, length ... so many of the penalty killers here have been working together as a unit for I don't know how many years now," New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. "They have a great scheme and they execute very well. They have defensive habits and instincts."

The Hurricanes are 5-for-5 and have allowed eight shots while short-handed against the Devils so far in the series.

Leading the way when short-handed are forwards Jordan Staal and Martinook, and defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns. The equally effective second unit includes forwards Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, and defensemen Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield.

The eventual game-winning goal came just 13 seconds after Aho was assessed a minor penalty for slashing. Orlov took a loose puck at his own blue line and sent a cross-ice pass to Martinook, who skated down left wing before scoring on a snap shot from the left face-off circle.

"There's times you can see the play developing, and the one tonight especially," Martinook said. "[Orlov] comes out and I can see that we're on the good side of it. I know I can take off. There's lots of plays where you could almost cheat it, but you know you're on the penalty kill, so you've got to be a little more patient."

The goal ignited the Hurricanes' faithful and gave Carolina a 2-1 lead at 5:54 of the second period.

"I can't think of enough good things to say about [Martinook's] game. It might have been his most impactful game as a Hurricane," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "He's had a bunch, especially in big moments, but just the goal is huge. He was all over this game for us."

Martinook is quick to credit assistant coach Tim Gleason, who specializes on the penalty kill.

"It starts with our PK coach, who cares about it just as much as all of us," Martinook said. "It feels like he's in the fight with you. When your coach is like that, you want to play as hard as you can. We have partners out there and you try to be a cohesive unit and just try to outwork the power play. When you go over the boards and you're going to outwork that team and the power play, usually good things happen.

"You've got to sell out and maybe do things that aren't comfortable. You're doing it for the team, and that's the biggest part."

Said Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere: “Our PK as a whole, it’s No. 1 in the League for a reason. ‘Marty’ is a heart-and-soul guy. He does a lot on the ice, but you don't see the behind-the-scenes stuff he does. He’s a great leader for us, and it showed.”

New Jersey, which finished second in the League on the penalty kill (82.7 percent) during the regular season, is 5-for-6 in the series.

"It's two top penalty-killing (units) in the League going head-to-head, and I thought our PK gave us a fighting chance, but the short-handed goal ... that's a killer," Keefe said. "You can't give that up."

Martinook has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in seven career playoff games against the Devils, and both of his short-handed goals in the postseason have also come against New Jersey. Martinook's previous short-handed goal came in Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Second Round, which the Hurricanes won in five games.

"It might just be coincidence (against the Devils), but it's not coincidence that type of player has success in the playoffs," Brind'Amour said.

Carolina has 10 postseason short-handed goals since 2018-19, the most in the NHL in that span. The Hurricanes were also tied for fourth with the Buffalo Sabres in short-handed goals during the regular season (10).

"Special teams are the difference," Keefe said. "Our power play has been our edge all season long, and it was going to be a real challenge for us going up against this penalty kill. ... It could be a big factor in the series. In a lot of ways, it's kind of been the story in the first two games."