Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Devils downed 3-1 in Game Two

   The New Jersey Devils took a lead shortly into game two of their series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but couldn't sustain the lead as they wouldn't score again in the 3-1 defeat.

Jesper Bratt's first-period goal gave New Jersey the lead after one, but Carolina scored two goals in the second period, one a shorthanded tally to give Carolina all they needed.

Carolina scored an empty net in the final seconds to cement their win.

Game three is Friday night at the Rock in Newark.

I'm not sure how much (or if any) coverage I will have of game three, as I will be at work and have day two coverage of the Browns in the NFL Draft. 

Hell Raisers

1) The Devils played with more energy in game two, but two plays will haunt the team leading into a must-win game three.

2) With Jacob Markstrom pulled from the net for an extra attacker, the Devils had a wide-open chance to tie the game, but Timo Meier never made contact on a bouncing puck.

Meier bangs that puck in, and we are off to overtime, with who knows what occurs afterward.

3) The other play that will haunt the Devils came early in the second period after the Hurricanes had tied the game.

Carolina's Sebastian Aho goes off the ice for slashing Cody Glass, with the Devils having a chance to grab control of the game by re-taking the lead.

Instead, Jordan Martinook zipped a shorthanded shot past Jacob Markstrom to give the Hurricanes a lead they would never relinquish.

4) For the second game in a row, Jacob Markstrom was very good in the net (25 saves), but Carolina's Fredrik Anderson was even better.

That's not an excuse. It's just a fact.

5) A team already missing Jack Hughes played game two without Luke Hughes and Brendon Dillon, and yet hung in the game to the very end.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that game two was available to be taken and flipped the series upside down with games three and four in Newark.

I can see the Devils winning one game at home, I'd be surprised if they won both.  

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