NHL: Canes escape Devils with 2-goal victory in Game 2, head to New Jersey with 2-0 series lead

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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here – and your Carolina Hurricanes are in them for a seventh-consecutive season.

Carolina welcomed the New Jersey Devils to Raleigh for Games 1 and 2 of their first-round matchup, winning both games with plenty of challenge in both.

The Canes beat New Jersey comfortably in Game 1, 4-1, then pulled away late for a 3-1 victory in Game 2.

Let’s take a deeper dive into Carolina’s first two postseason games, which have them just two wins from advancing out of the first round, for a fifth-consecutive season.

Canes win Game 2 thriller behind Andersen’s big night in net

Year-after-year, Carolina always seems to be one missing piece from contending in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you ask me, that missing piece is a healthy goaltender.

Luckily, for right now, the Canes have Freddie Andersen. Carolina held off a late Devils push on Tuesday, April 22, winning 3-1 behind a 25-save performance from Anderson.

New Jersey pulled starting goalie Jacob Markström late, with skaters earning multiple point-blank opportunities against Andersen late.

Andersen kept denying chance after chance, much to the approval of Canes fans in the Lenovo Center seats.

Carolina fell behind 1-0 early due to Jesper Bratt’s goal, but scored three unanswered goals to win. Shayne Gostisbehere scored the equalizer on a beautiful shot close to Markstrom, Jordan Martinook added the go-ahead goal on a shorthanded opportunity, then Seth Jarvis put the game out of reach with a third period empty-netter.

Canes take control early in Game 1 behind Stankoven’s goals

It only took Carolina two minutes to score in its 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff debut, thanks to defenseman Jalen Chatfield.

The Canes followed Chatfield’s quick strike, scoring a lot during a 4-1 victory over New Jersey.

Logan Stankoven stood out in his Carolina postseason debut, scoring two second period goals. Nico Hischier got the Devils on the board late in the second, closing their deficit to 3-1, but Andrei Svechnikov’s third period empty-netter closed things out for the Canes.

When do the Canes play next?

Carolina heads up to Newark, New Jersey for Game 3 on Friday, April 25 at 8 p.m. The Caneso then remain in Newark for Game 4, on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.