Now a quarter into the season the Devils and Carolina are among the top three teams in the Metro Division battling for early positioning. In the last meeting, the Devils were playing back-to-back games after beating the Utah Hockey Club. The Devils were still without defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce who were still injured. Both teams saw major changes to their season in the summer and the Devils came in with new coach Sheldon Keefe while the Hurricanes continue to be guided by long-term coach Rod Brind’Amor.
Tonight’s game is a bit the opposite with the Devils coming off the longest stretch of days off since returning from the season-opening games in Prague. Finally able to get a few days of practice and much-needed rest, the Devils look to regain ground on the first-place Hurricanes, who defeated the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night.
The Devils are 7-3 in their last ten games led by the surging Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Ondrej Palat. The only downside is all three of those losses were shutouts where the Devils failed to put a single goal on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have brushed off all doubters of their preseason demise and have, at times, dominated the opposition with a relentless transition game that puts pucks in the net led by center Martin Necas who has 11 goals on the season. The Hurricanes are a well-balanced team that can score on all four lines and have a speedy defense that can quickly backcheck to stop the rush.
This game will be a big statement game for the Devils who play the top two teams in the Metropolitan over the next two days. The Washington Capitals are on deck for Saturday. Even this early in the season points won against both these teams can have an April impact. The Devils are a much different team than last year that tried to match the game like Carolina. The Canes dominate the possession game and rank among the top in Corsi and goals expected. The 2024-25 season Devils play a more balanced game using both skill and size to slow down the opposition and trap teams in the defensive zone. The Devils are among the top teams in hits and no longer dependent on smaller speed forwards. Instead, they are a balanced defense of larger, more defensive defensemen matched with a more offensive-minded defensive player. The top pairing of Jonas Siegenthalar and Johnathan Kovacevic leads the league in shutting down top lines and Hischier continues to shine in a Selke role in all three areas of the ice.
These teams don’t like each other. The rivalry is not at the same level as other Metropolitan Teams but is building to it. Expect a more physical game and the Devils will have to focus on staying out of the box. Both teams are closely matched in powerplay, and penalty kill percentages, so there is no edge to either team. The Devils have the advantage with goaltending especially with injuries in the pipes for Carolina.
Although these teams played each other a month ago, expect a different showing from the Devils who have been building chemistry and had four days to rest, have real practices and trying to make an early statement in the Metropolitan Division. The Philadelphia Flyers play a heavy game and the previous night’s match-up benefits the Devils. Look for goaltending to be on display and Haula to add to the Hurricane’s dislike of him. This game can easily be a preview of the first round of the playoffs.
