3 Takeaways From Hurricanes’ 4-1 Game 1 Win Over the Devils

On Easter Sunday (April 20), the Carolina Hurricanes took on the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of their Round 1 matchup in the 2025 NHL Playoffs. The last time these two met was in Round 2 of the 2023 NHL Playoffs, where the Hurricanes won the series 4-1. Could we see a repeat in this series? Game 1 looked like it after the Hurricanes won 4-1 in a dominant game from start to finish. What were the main takeaways in the Game 1 victory for Carolina?

Takeaway #1: Hurricanes Won Special Teams Battle

Coming into the series, special teams were one of the biggest question marks for both the Hurricanes and the Devils. During the 2024-25 regular season, the Hurricanes had the number one penalty killing unit in the NHL (83.6%) while the Devils were second (82.7%). However, the visitors had the third-best power play (28.2%) while the Hurricanes struggled since December to finish the season ranked 25th (18.7%). While it may be cliche, special teams in the playoffs make or break games, even whole series. One of the keys for the Hurricanes to defeat the Devils in Round 1 was to limit the special teams battle, and they did just that in Game 1.

The Hurricanes went one-for-three on the power play thanks to Logan Stankoven‘s second goal of the game in the second period. His goal made it 3-0 and, for all intents and purposes, put the game out of reach. Furthermore, the Hurricanes limited the Devils to two power plays and shut them down on both instances.

In the special teams battle, Carolina had a night assistant coach Tim Gleason will be proud of, more importantly, Rod Brind’Amour. Going one-for-three on the power play and two-for-two on the penalty kill is what any coaching staff would love to have in the playoffs. To set the tone like that in Game 1 for the series, that will go a long way. Jordan Staal, after the game, mentioned how it helped lead the team to their win on Sunday night: “Everything kind of went. The power play got one, the penalty kill was good, the five-on-five was great, obviously. We came out strong. It was a good all-around effort, all the way through, from Freddie all the way up to forward.”

Takeaway #2: The Hall, Kotkaniemi, & Svechnikov Line Showed Out

If there was a line that flat-out dominated from start to finish, it was the line of Taylor Hall, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Andrei Svechnikov. Moreover, just those three in general, in all facets of the game. Svechnikov scored the empty net goal to ice the game 4-1 with 2:28 left in the game. Hall had two assists, and Kotkaniemi had one as well, even linking up on the power play, which led to the Stankoven off the post goal to make it 3-0. Outside of the points, the three were the most dominant line for Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes.

Per Natural Stat Trick, in 9:06 of time on ice (TOI) together, they had 19 chances for compared to only six chances against. Their Corsi for percentage (CF%) was 76%, the best for the Hurricanes. Even when looking at shots for compared to shots against, these three were 10-3 when it came to them outchancing the Devils over that nine-minute TOI stretch. The other three lines were right down the middle, 50-50 in that category.

The way that Hall, Kotkaniemi, and Svechnikov line played together will help the Hurricanes when it comes to a deep playoff run. If they can roll all four lines and just come at opponents in waves, they will be tough to stop. Especially, when it comes to this “second line” for Brind’Amour that can bring the scoring touch along with the physicality. The all-around two-way game of these three could be something to help balance the shutdown third line and the crafty and speedy first line. If Hall, Kotkaniemi, and Svechnikov can keep up this pace, or even somewhat near it, the Hurricanes could be a headache for the Devils all series with these three on the ice.

Takeaway #3: Frederik Andersen Slams the Door

What a start to the series for the game’s number two star in Frederik Andersen. In his Game 1 start, he saved 23 of 24 Devils shots to finish with a 1.00 goals-against average (GAA) and a .958 save percentage (SV%) in the win. It was his 13th playoff win since joining the Hurricanes, and what a way to kick off his 2025 Playoff campaign. While it is only one game, the last time he had a sub-2.00 GAA was back in 2022-23, where he finished with a 1.83 GAA and a .927 SV%. Early on, Andersen did not see much action as the Devils only had five shots in the first period. However, while the chances were limited, he still made saves when the Hurricanes needed it the most. Even after Nico Hischier made it 3-1 with under two minutes left in the second period, Andersen stayed as the Danish Brick Wall that he is. The first 40 minutes saw the Hurricanes have 17 then 21 shots compared to the Devils’ five and eight.

The third period saw a huge push from the Devils, who had 11 shots on goal. When asked about the Devils’ push, Andersen stated, “You never really know what a game is going to bring you. You just have to stay ready for the next shot. Try to stay in the moment and stay present. I’m not thinking about what the score is or what’s going on in the game too much, I’m just trying to react to what’s in front of you and focusing on the next shot.” That is the mindset of a netminder who has seen lots of playoff games, especially going into his third playoffs with the Hurricanes. The “Great Dane,” as he is called, showed why he was so great. Being able to stop 11 of the Devils’ 23 shots in the final 20 minutes of the game kept the Hurricanes ahead by two until the Svechnikov empty net goal. If Andersen can keep this run going and stay looking sharp, there is no telling how many games he will start in this series, and even the playoffs as a whole. If there is someone who will be an X-factor to steal – or win – a series, it’s Andersen.

Game 2 on Tuesday

Game 2 of the series will take place on Tuesday, April 22, with the Hurricanes up 1-0 on the Devils. The puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern, and it will be on FanDuel Sports Network South and ESPN. The radio broadcast will be on 99.9 The Fan. As of now, there is no idea on who will start in net for both teams, but the Hurricanes should expect the Devils to come out flying as they look to even up the series. Regarding the Hurricanes, they will just keep up the tempo that they created in Game 1 to hopefully take the win on Tuesday to send the series up 2-0 to New Jersey. If people thought Sunday was electric, get ready for Tuesday at the Lenovo Center.