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Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice in a roughly 2 1/2-minute span throughout Carolina’s four-goal second period, Frederik Andersen stopped 28 photographs and the Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Friday evening for a 2-0 lead of their second-round playoff collection.
Jordan Staal and Martin Necas additionally scored in that blow-it-open second, which turned a scoreless recreation between the highest two regular-season groups still alive in the playoffs right into a romping Hurricanes win with the backing of one other rowdy dwelling crowd.
It additionally marked the second straight recreation the Hurricanes chased Devils netminder Akira Schmid. He lasted just a few minutes into the second interval of the 5-1 loss in Sport 1, then took a seat after the second along with his group down 4-0.
Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen added clinching targets within the third interval to cap one other dominant evening for Carolina.
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Jesperi Kotkaniemi #82 of the Carolina Hurricanes reacts after scoring his second purpose of the second interval in opposition to the New Jersey Devils in Sport Two of the Second Spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Area on Could 05, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Photos)
Miles Wooden scored for the Devils early within the third, however Andersen was sturdy in his third straight postseason begin for Carolina going again to the Spherical 1 win in opposition to the New York Islanders.
The Devils return dwelling to host Sport 3 on Sunday, dealing with an 0-2 gap for the second straight best-of-seven collection. They misplaced the primary two video games at dwelling by 5-1 scores within the first spherical in opposition to the New York Rangers earlier than rallying to advance with Monday’s Sport 7 clincher.
This time, they have been outscored 11-2 by two video games.
Kotkaniemi’s first purpose got here when he took go alone on the appropriate aspect, then skated in to the dot earlier than firing a shot that went beneath Schmid’s proper arm and grazed his ribs earlier than discovering the online on the 1:35 mark.
Moments later, Martinook — whose exercise had him within the combine all evening — skated in to tangle up two Devils gamers in a possession chase close to the boards. That helped jar the puck unfastened to skitter over to Kotkaniemi for the near-post putaway at 3:58.
The Hurricanes saved the stress on. There was Jack Drury chipping the puck in on the blue line for Staal, with the Hurricanes captain extending his 6-foot-4 body to corral it earlier than going with the forehand-to-backhand end and the 3-0 lead.
And at last, Martin Necas completed one from the slot after Jaccob Slavin caught the appropriate submit on a rush, pushing the margin to 4-0 and solely growing already roaring noise in PNC Area shortly earlier than the intermission.
The Hurricanes dominated the opening interval of Sport 1, smothering the Devils to remove open ice whereas tallying extra targets (two) than New Jersey had photographs (one).
Jesperi Kotkaniemi #82 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after a purpose throughout the second interval in opposition to the New Jersey Devils in Sport Two of the Second Spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Area on Could 05, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Josh Lavallee/NHLI by way of Getty Photos)
PETR KLIMA, OILERS’ STANLEY CUP HERO, DEAD AT 58
The Devils knew they could not repeat that effort and mentioned as a lot Thursday, noting they needed to get pucks on the web and use their pace to power Carolina to expend power defending in its personal finish as an alternative of rolling with its aggressive forecheck.
New Jersey carried play by the primary 10-plus minutes. However by finish of this one, Carolina was celebrating a blowout with Martinook’s breakaway rating in opposition to reliever Vitek Vanecek adopted carefully by Noesen’s putaway on an ideal 2-on-1 feed from Sebastian Aho.
MEIER BACK
Commerce acquisition Timo Meier was again for the Devils after lacking Sport 1. He was left with a minimize nostril and bruising beneath his proper eye for this one, 4 days after taking a crushing hit from New York Rangers ahead Jacob Trouba within the Sport 7 win to shut the primary spherical.
Meier noticed 16:49 of ice time on this one and completed with 5 photographs.
Martin Necas #88 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after a purpose throughout the second interval in opposition to the New Jersey Devils in Sport Two of the Second Spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Area on Could 05, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Cato Cataldo/NHLI by way of Getty Photos)
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SIREN SOUNDERS
Former Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner within the group’s run to the 2006 Stanley Cup, sounded the pregame storm-warning siren for the Hurricanes to take the ice.
Charlotte Hornets guard Bryce McGowens and Carolina Panthers offensive deal with Ikem Ekwonu sounded the siren for the next intermissions.
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