The Carolina Hurricanes begin their postseason journey this Sunday when they face the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The game is scheduled for April 20 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on FanDuel Sports Network South, ESPN, SN, SN360, and TVAS. Fans can also listen via 99.9 The Fan or the Hurricanes App. At the time of publication, the Hurricanes are favored with odds of Canes -210 according to Fanatics Sportsbook.
The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 47-30-5 record, securing second place in the Metropolitan Division. Their last outing was a high-scoring encounter that ended in a 7-5 defeat against the Ottawa Senators.
The New Jersey Devils concluded their regular season with a 42-33-7 record, taking third place in the Metropolitan Division. Their previous game saw them fall 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings.
Looking back on the regular season matchups between the two teams, each squad secured two victories. In their initial clash, Carolina won 4-2 with Jackson Blake scoring his first NHL goal. The Devils bounced back in subsequent meetings, with significant contributions from players like Jacob Markstrom and Jesper Bratt.
Among the key performers in those games, Jack Roslovic of the Hurricanes registered five points, while Jesper Bratt of the Devils accumulated seven points.
On the goaltending front, Carolina’s head coach, Rod Brind’Amour, announced that Frederik Andersen is the probable starter for Game 1. Andersen experienced a fluctuating regular season marked by injury but ended on a challenging note. The coaching team’s decision to start Andersen reflects their trust in his experience. Pyotr Kochetkov is another option for the Hurricanes.
The Devils face the series without key players Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler due to injuries. Despite these absences, the Devils remain strong in special teams, ranking in the top five for both the power play and penalty kill. In goal, Jacob Markstrom’s form has dipped since recovering from injury, while Jake Allen presents a viable alternative should the need arise.
The Hurricanes will don their black uniforms at home throughout the postseason. They are set to practice on Monday before hosting Game 2 on Tuesday evening at Lenovo Center.
For fans eager for updates on the playoffs, they can text “PLAYOFFS25” to receive news alerts on their phones.
