Aho scores in 2OT, Hurricanes eliminate Devils in Game 5 of Eastern 1st Round

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sebastian Aho scored at 4:17 of the second overtime, and the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the New Jersey Devils with a 5-4 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Lenovo Center on Tuesday.

Aho won it with a one-timer from high in the right face-off circle off a Shayne Gostisbehere pass. Carolina was on a four-minute power play after Dawson Mercer was called for a high-sticking double minor at 1:10.

“It felt unreal,” Aho said. “You almost black out for a second there. The crowd goes nuts, guys are jumping on you. It’s a really good feeling.”

Aho had two goals and an assist, and Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis each had two assists for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 2 seed in the Metropolitan Division. Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves.

The Hurricanes trailed 3-0 after the first period.

“I give the guys so much credit,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “There’s not many games where, even when we don’t play well, that we don’t get back in the game. We find a way, and that’s what happened tonight.”

Carolina will face the winner of the series between the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens. The Capitals lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 entering Game 5 at Washington on Wednesday.

Stefan Noesen had a goal and an assist, and Brett Pesce had two assists for the Devils, the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan. Jacob Markstrom made 49 saves, including 15 in the third period and 14 in the first overtime.

“I guess it's just hockey, is what I'd say,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “It kind of got away on us there. They get three, just like we got three. But [I] loved the fight in our team. I thought we competed hard. I liked a lot about our game.”

The Devils took a 1-0 lead at 3:46 of the first period on a goal by Mercer. Pesce’s initial shot was stopped by Kochetkov, but after a failed clearing attempt by Carolina, Pesce’s wrist shot from the top of the slot deflected off Mercer and in under the crossbar.

Timo Meier pushed it to 2-0 at 5:31. After New Jersey pressured Carolina into turnover on the forecheck, Pesce gloved the puck down out of the air and passed to Meier, who scored on a low snap shot from the high slot.

Noesen made it 3-0 at 9:55, scoring from the edge of the crease with a redirection of Simon Nemec’s shot from the point. The goal came three seconds after a New Jersey power play expired.

The Hurricanes scored three goals in 3:54 to tie the game in the second period.

Taylor Hall cut it to 3-1 at 1:46. Logan Stankoven took a cross-ice pass from Hall and one-timed a shot through Markstrom’s pads from a sharp angle before Hall pushed the resting puck across the goal line.

Jackson Blake then made it 3-2 at 4:01. He gathered the puck in the right corner, curled around the left post to the front of the net and scored to the short side.

“[Hurricanes forward William Carrier] did a great job to drive the net a little bit and pop off, and he dragged (Devils forward Jesper) Bratt and opened a little lane for me,” Blake said. “Unbelievable feeling, especially at that time of the game to get our momentum going.”

Andrei Svechnikov tied it 3-3 at 5:40, taking a pass from Dmitry Orlov and scoring from above the left circle with a snap shot through a screen.

“Just make the plays and play our game, and it’s going to come,” Svechnikov said. “We believed in each other, we believed in the group. We were losing that game 3-0 but we knew we were going to be OK.”

Nico Hischier put the Devils back in front 4-3 at 7:26, converting a one-timer from the right circle off a no-look backhand pass from Paul Cotter.

Carolina tied it 4-4 at 11:27 during a 5-on-3 power play after Jarvis passed to Aho for a one-timer at the bottom of the right circle.

Markstrom was strong in the third period, when the Hurricanes outshot the Devils 15-8. With 1:21 remaining, he stopped a shot by Jaccob Slavin that took a deflection and then a rebound attempt by Stankoven from in tight on the backhand.

“It's tough right now,” Markstrom said. “And I feel like, obviously, we put up four goals on the road in Carolina against a good team, and we should have brought it home. That should have been enough.”

The Devils were outshot 14-3 in the first overtime and 5-1 in the second.

“I mean, we just stopped making plays, and I think we threw out the puck a little bit too much, exactly the way they wanted us,” said Hischier, the New Jersey captain. “And they were able to outchange us, when you're out there stuck, tired, with a long change and stuff.”

NOTES: Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi left the game after the high stick from Mercer. Brind’Amour said Kotkaniemi was cut above the eye. … Svechnikov had a game-high nine shots on goal. … Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook had a game-high 10 hits. … Carolina has won its past five playoff series against New Jersey. … Devils defenseman Brian Dumoulin played a game-high 37:19 and had three blocked shots.