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Kotkaniemi’s Sacrifice Paves Way for Carolina Hurricanes Decisive Victory Over New Jersey Devils

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After five, long games between the Carolina Hurricanes and their longtime playoff rival, the New Jersey Devils, the series belongs to the team from Raleigh, North Carolina. Hard-fought battles and drama were the main themes of round one of their side of the bracket for the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the final game of the series was no different.

Sebastian Aho Blows the Roof Off Lenovo Center with Double Overtime Goal

At the start of Game 5, the outcome was as unpredictable as it gets. Before ten minutes had ticked away, New Jersey had three on the board. Carolina had a massive breakdown offensively, defensively, and in the net. But, in classic playoff fashion, the second period completely flipped the game on its head. Once again, before the first ten minutes, Carolina had evened the game (with one being Jackson Blake‘s first in his NHL Playoff Career). Soon after, Nico Hischier put the puck in the net, but it wasn’t left unanswered for long, with Sebastian Aho quickly netting one, as well. The third period went scoreless, with overtime then commencing. The Hurricanes dominated the extra period, outshooting the Devils 14-3. But ultimately, the scorelessness of the third period spilled over into the first additional frame.

The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils Went Down the Wire in Game 5

Early in the second overtime, a scary sight unfolded as a high stick caught Jesperi Kotkaniemi behind the visor. On the ground and bleeding onto the ice, he was helped to the locker room as New Jersey was left with a double-minor for high-sticking. In the second half of the power play, Aho sent the puck past Jacob Markstrom. The goal brought life back to the tired players on the bench, jumping over the boards to celebrate their assistant captain as Petey Pablo’s “Raise Up” rang throughout the arena.

Following the celebration, Hurricanes and Devils players lined up for handshakes. The moment was notably emotional as Brett Pesce, who had spent nine years with Carolina, turned it into a hug line. “There’s a lot of respect deep both ways. He’s our brother”, Aho said regarding the moment. “It was definitely kind of an emotional handshake.”

During the post-game celebrations, Kotkaniemi also returned to the ice, sporting a swollen eye and a grin, which Aho also elaborated on during the same press conference. “KK took one for the boys. He probably doesn’t mind at all. I know he doesn’t mind at all. You’ll trade that. A few stitches in the corner of your eye to clinch a series.”

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From Russia with Clutch

Many believed something had burnt out in Andrei Svechnikov since returning last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). But this series showed that it was not the case. In Tuesday’s game, he put an astounding nine shots on net and pocketed a goal. In the game before, he achieved a hat trick, something he hadn’t done in the playoffs since his very first hatty in 2020. Currently, he leads the team in goals with five, and in shots with 22. Impressively, he has the second-highest shooting percentage for the Hurricanes, with 22.7%.

Dmitry Orlov has also impressed in this series, leading the team in blocked shots, alongside Jaccob Slavin, with eight. He has continuously brought a physical edge and grit to the team, sitting third in hits with 18. Though he has gone without a goal in the six shots he’s put on net, his playmaking has still put him on the scoresheet, with his two assists being on some of the biggest goals of the series. In Game Two, he provided the assist to Jordan Martinook’s game-winning goal on the penalty kill. Then, in Game Five, he had the primary assist on Svechnikov’s game-tying goal. His contributions may be quiet, but they have been incredibly impactful.

Meanwhile, Pyotr Kochetkov has also been good for Carolina. Entering Game Four cold after Frederik Andersen’s injury, he allowed only one goal before settling into the crease, making 14 saves on 15 total shots. Game Five, however, saw a bit more inconsistency in his play during Carolina’s abysmal first period. In the eight early shots on net, three goals were allowed. However, from that point onward, only one more goal slipped past him as Carolina took the fight to Markstrom, who conceded four goals in the second frame. During the postgame, Svechnikov revealed what he told Kochetkov as the second period began. “I just came to him and said, ‘Brother, I believe in you. You’re the best goalie, just put that in your head and that’s it, let’s go’.”

Last Word on This Story

With Tuesday night’s success, the Hurricanes became the first team in the league to establish their spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Semi-Finals. The win made history for Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour, becoming the first in NHL history to win at least one series in each of his first seven seasons behind the bench. After the Carolina Hurricanes played double overtime in two games versus the New Jersey Devils within the series, the early clinch will give Carolina some much-needed rest.

Going into Round Two, one player will have some extra zip in his stride. Wednesday morning, it was announced that Taylor Hall signed an extension with Carolina. The price tag carries an average annual value of $3.167M, an absolute steal for the former Hart Trophy winner and 2010’s NHL Entry Draft first-overall pick.

And onward we go!

Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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