Special Teams Errors Cost New Jersey Devils First Two Games

The New Jersey Devils are trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after a Game 2 loss by a score of 3-1. This was after a 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the series on Sunday. While the Devils showed that bounce-back ability, it wasn’t enough as the New Jersey Devils special teams once again cost the team.

“Special teams are the difference,” head coach Sheldon Keefe told the media after Game 2 on Tuesday. “We knew coming into this series 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 and it could be a big factor in the series and it’s really what, in a lot of ways, been the story in the first two games.”

The New Jersey Devils had the third-best power play in the NHL, operating at a 28.2% success rate during the regular season. This was a unit from March 2nd, 2025, that did not have Jack Hughes on its top power-play unit. Jack Hughes was lost for the season after having shoulder surgery. Not to mention, Dougie Hamilton was out from March 4th, 2025, to April 16th, 2025, with a lower-body injury.

Players like Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Luke Hughes really stepped up their games. Not to mention having Stefan Noesen in front of the net made a difference. There were stretches during the season when the unit fell flat. And this is where the Devils needed to find goals in this series if they wanted to win.

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Entering the series, the New Jersey Devils needed to average two to three goals a game. Some of those goals, as discussed on the Full Press NHL Podcast with Mike Morreale, needed to come on special teams, either on the power play or on the penalty. Neither of which has happened. The Devils have two goals in the series, both at even strength.

Jim Biringer: “And as you mentioned before, can you get two to three goals? And maybe one of those goals, or two of those goals, are either a power play goal or a short-handed goal, like a special teams goal. That’ll change momentum in a game for you.”

Mike Morreale:  “You make a legitimate point there as far as special teams goes, Look, Carolina hasn’t done well on the power play this year. I think they’re in the bottom third, if I’m not mistaken, a little over 18% and the Devils have 10 shorthanded goals, obviously, seven shorthanded goals this year, so maybe that’s an area, as you said, that they could take advantage of. It seems crazy to think that you could take advantage of a Carolina power play, but hey, if you have a Jesper Bratt out there. You got a Nico, you have a chance. And now (Brenden) Dillon has played well, so yeah, I mean, you’ve got to strike however you can. And obviously the Devils power play, we know it has been clicking this year, and special teams are going to be big. They’re going to have to win the special teams battle to have any chance here.”

Through two games in the series, the Devils power play is 0-for-5, and they gave up a short-handed goal in Game 2 that was the difference. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes’ power play is 1-for-6, with a power-play goal in Game 1. Again, that was the difference in Game 1. So, as predicted, special teams was going to play a role.

“I mean, obviously, them scoring shorthand is obviously a game changer,” Jesper Bratt said post-game. 

There’s a reason why the Hurricanes’ penalty kill is operating at an 83.6 percent success rate. The Devils are second, operating at a success rate of 82.7 percent. So it was going to be hard for both power-play units to score goals. And the Hurricanes have a goal on each side of the ledger, with the Devils having zero.

In five power play attempts in the series, the Devils have seven shots on five power play attempts and only one shot in two power play attempts in Game 1. That is not going to cut it against a team like Carolina. Logan Stankoven scored the power-play marker for the Canes in Game 1. It was Jordan Martinook who scored the shorthanded marker against the Devils in Game 2.

“But a short-handed goal. That is a killer. Can’t give that up,” Keefe continued post-game. 

Special teams is an area the New Jersey Devils need to improve on, as Brett Pesce said after the game on Tuesday.

“It hurts our special teams. We lost the best special-teams battle two times in a row, and in the playoffs. And playoffs,” Brett Pesce said to the media. “The game is so tight five-on-five. You need our special teams to come up big. Penalty and power play, and we lose the game arguably because of that.”

The New Jersey Devils special teams, especially the power play, are going to have to find a way to break down a very good, aggressive, and defensive penalty kill unit as the series shifts back to New Jersey for Games 3 and 4.

If the New Jersey Devils can flip the script on special teams, they have a chance to take a game or two in the series. But the key will be taking Frederik Andersen‘s eyes away from him. But that will be a challenge considering how good the unit for Carolina is.

Game 3 is set for Friday Night, 8 pm ET at Prudential Center.

Of Note: The New Jersey Devils were playing without Brenden Dillon, Luke Hughes, Cody Glass, and Jonas Siegenthaler. Not to mention Jack Hughes. Not having Dillon or Luke Hughes for the special-teams battle really hurts. Glass, Dillon, and Luke Hughes were all injured in Game 1.