Playoff primer: Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils

With the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs now underway, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We begin our second-round coverage with the Metropolitan Division matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

For the third time in as many years, the Carolina Hurricanes have won their first-round matchup and will try to return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand, make it to the second round for the first time since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2011-12 season, beating their cross-town rival New York Rangers in seven games. This will be the fifth time these two teams have met in the playoffs, with the Hurricanes winning three of the previous four series.

Prior to this season, the Devils had failed to qualify for the playoffs in nine of the last 10 seasons. As the team has finally come together, led by the tremendous breakout of star center Jack Hughes, the Devils look poised to continue winning.  

The Hurricanes are on a three-year run of clinching the Metropolitan division during the regular season but have failed to move past the second round for quite some time.

In three of the playoff matchups between these teams, the winner has gone on to the Stanley Cup Final, with the Hurricanes winning the Cup in 2006. 

This should be a hotly contested series.

Carolina Hurricanes: 52-21-9, 113 points, +53 goal differential
New Jersey Devils: 52-22-8, 112 points, +65 goal differential.

Head-To-Head

December 20, 2022: Carolina 4, New Jersey 1

January 1, 2023: Carolina 5, New Jersey 4 (OT)

January 10, 2023: New Jersey 5, Carolina 3

March 12, 2023: New Jersey 3, Carolina 0

New Jersey takes the season series 2-1-1

Team Storylines

One major point of consideration in this series will be the health of the two lineups. As of right now, New Jersey comes in with a clean bill of health, but Carolina will still be missing talented forwards such as Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen.

In their first-round matchup against the New York Islanders, even with so many top-end forwards out of the lineup, the Hurricanes were able to pick up solid depth scoring from Stefan Noesen and Seth Jarvis. Both players scored four points in six games, as Noesen scored the game-winner in Game 1. Sebastian Aho led the way for Carolina, scoring seven points in six games, continuing his point-per-game pace in the playoffs over the course of his career.

For the Devils, their high-end scoring came from the usual suspects this season. Although no player on the team averaged a point per game, Nico Hischier, Ondrej Palat and Hughes all scored five points in their series against the Rangers. Erik Haula gave New Jersey six points in seven games. In regards to the number of players contributing to the offense, the Devils have a clear advantage heading into this second-round matchup.

On defense, both teams have positives and negatives. The Devils were a mixed bag against New York in their previous series, allowing 15 goals in three games (Games 1, 2 and 6), but also held the Rangers to two goals in the four games that New Jersey won. So far in the playoffs this year, when the Devils lose, they lose big. 

In Carolina's six games against the Islanders, the 'Canes gave up 15 goals in total. 

The major X-factors for both teams will be their top offensive defenseman. Brent Burns had a huge first round for Carolina, adding five assists, while New Jersey’s top defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, scored three points, including an overtime game-winner in Game 3.

Between the pipes, both teams have used two goaltenders in their first-round matchups. The Hurricanes ran with Antti Raanta up until the series-deciding Game 6, where Frederik Andersen would come in and stop 33 of 34 shots. In New Jersey, Vitek Vanecek originally got the nod in net, but after getting blown out in Games 1 and 2, the Devils turned to young goaltender Akira Schmid, who produced a 4-1-0 record, posting a .951 SV% and a 1.38 GAA, including two shutouts.

Prediction

In this series, the number of injuries that Carolina has accrued recently may become insurmountable. Although the Hurricanes dominated their first-round matchup against the Islanders, New Jersey brings a much different style of play, and the Hurricanes will have to try and weather some serious offense coming their way.

The Devils’ lack of playoff experience showed in the first round despite the series win, as they were considerably tested by New York, including falling behind in the series 2-0. The players that lead the team, such as Hughes, Hischier and Bratt, do not have the experience that the Hurricanes team has accrued in the last several years. Still, they were able to overcome that early adversity against the Rangers and get the series win.

The prediction: New Jersey wins in six games.