NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils secured a vital 3-2 victory in double overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Rookie defenseman Simon Nemec netted the decisive goal just 2 minutes and 36 seconds into the second extra period.
Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer also scored for New Jersey in regulation. Jacob Markstrom was solid in net, making 25 saves. This win is crucial for the Devils, cutting their series deficit to 2-1 after dropping the initial two games on the road in Raleigh.
For the Carolina Hurricanes, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho each scored, while goaltender Frederik Andersen turned aside 34 shots in the losing effort.
The series will continue with Game 4 on Sunday, returning to the Prudential Center in Newark. Game 5 is then scheduled for Tuesday night back in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Nemec`s game-winning tally came after he carried the puck down the right side, executed a deking move in the right circle, and fired a shot past Andersen.
Both teams had scoring opportunities during the first overtime period, with goaltenders on both sides making significant saves and defensemen blocking shots. New Jersey held an 8-2 advantage in shots in the first extra frame and had two power-play chances that they couldn`t capitalize on.
Earlier in the game, Mercer extended the Devils` lead to 2-0 at 1:17 of the third period in unusual fashion. After Frederik Andersen stopped Jesper Bratt`s drive, Mercer went behind the net to retrieve the loose puck. His initial attempt to tuck it in from the left side was a whiff, but as Andersen dove back into position, the puck was inadvertently knocked across the goal line by the Hurricanes goalie`s stick.
Carolina began their comeback with a power-play goal from Seth Jarvis at 6:11 of the third, scoring from the right circle.
Sebastian Aho tied the game with another power-play goal with 7:40 remaining in regulation. After Markstrom stopped an initial shot from Andrei Svechnikov, Svechnikov recovered the puck and passed it to Aho in the right circle, who fired it through traffic in front of the net to even the score.
Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom made a key glove save on a shot by Jesperi Kotkaniemi with only 25 seconds left in regulation, ensuring the game went to overtime.
New Jersey saw the return of defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, who had been out since February 4th. However, they were still without Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon for the second consecutive game and lost another defenseman, Johnathan Kovacevic, who did not return after the first intermission due to injury.
The Devils came out strong, registering the first five shots of the game. Carolina didn`t get their first shot on goal until 9:06 elapsed in the first period, when Markstrom stopped Logan Stankoven`s attempt just after a Hurricanes power play expired.
Timo Meier set up Nico Hischier for the game`s opening goal with 3:49 left in the first. Hischier appeared to lose control trying to move the puck to his forehand as he drove to the net, but the puck slid across the goal line on the left side. It was Hischier`s second goal of the series and the Devils` third overall.
Before Carolina`s comeback, the Devils had a chance to increase their lead late in the second period during a scramble in front of Andersen, but the Hurricanes goalie, while down on his stomach, managed to glove away Timo Meier`s attempt from the left side with 6:04 remaining.
