Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin skates with the puck as New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen defends (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)

Hurricanes Defeat Devils 3-1 in Metropolitan Division Matchup

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Devora Slonim | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 10:09 PM ET

On Sunday, Jan. 4, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Carolina Hurricanes for their second matchup of the season. The Devils looked to extend their two-game winning streak in the second half of a back-to-back following their win over the Utah Mammoth the night before, while the Hurricanes were looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Ultimately, Carolina bested the Devils, defeating New Jersey 3-1 on the Devils’ home turf.

Game Recap

The Hurricanes wasted no time as Nikolaj Ehlers found the back of the net just 51 seconds into the opening frame, poking a loose puck past goaltender Jake Allen.

Dawson Mercer received the game’s first penalty on a hooking call against Shayne Gostisbehere, but the Devils successfully killed it off. Shortly after, Mercer made amends by scoring the equalizer, finishing a centering feed from Arseni Gritsyuk.

The rest of the period saw a lot of two-way play, but Carolina ended the first with the edge in shots 14-8.

The Hurricanes controlled play for much of the middle frame and eventually capitalized to extend their lead. Taylor Hall made it 2-1 after applying heavy pressure on Luke Hughes, stripping him of the puck and slipping it past Allen.

New Jersey closed out the second period, unable to convert on three consecutive power-play opportunities, and headed into the final frame trailing by one.

Logan Stankoven extended Carolina’s lead with a goal just under eight minutes remaining in regulation, providing the Hurricanes some breathing room down the stretch. Carolina then weathered a late Devils power play and an empty-net push to seal the 3-1 victory.

Next Up

The Devils will head to New York on Tuesday to face the Islanders to open a four-game road trip, while the Hurricanes return home to start a three-game homestand against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.