Devils, Canes Split Home-and-Home Matchups | GAME STORY

RALEIGH, NC - The New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes have split their home-and-home, back-to-back series.

The Hurricanes, twice trailing New Jersey, came from behind to beat the Devils 5-2 on Saturday night. Both teams won their home games in this mini-series.

"It felt like a playoff game out there,” goalie Jake Allen said. “I think it’s a good battle test for us. Obviously they’re a good team, especially in this building, but it’s going to be a bunch of these games coming down the stretch here in the second half of the year where you’ve got to find ways to win and I know we split against these guys, a home-and-home, but we were in a good spot going into the third and they capitalized on their chances.”

Paul Cotter scored his first goal since mid-November, scoring early in the second to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead. Cotter picked Jesperi Kotkaniemi's pocket to break in on Dustin Tokarski and used his explosive speed to clear open space through the slot before releasing his wrist shot for the lead.

"Definitely a breath of fresh air on that one, but obviously I expect a ton more out of myself," Cotter said, after breaking a streak of 19-straight games without a goal. "But it’s good to get that one done with. But, now that that little curse is broken it’s hopefully time to get back on the horse.”

A late second-period goal by Hurricanes Dmitry Orlov sent the game into the third tie at one. Orlov scored with just 30 seconds remaining in the period and on Carolina's 29th shot against Jake Allen.

The two teams exchanged quick goals early in the third, Ondrej Palat scoring first for New Jersey before Sebastian Aho tied the game at two 51 seconds later.

Carolina would take their first lead of the game while the Devils attempted to kill off a five-minute major penalty to Timo Meier. The Devils forward was issued the major and a game misconduct just before the halfway mark of the third period when he collided in a knee-on-knee scenario with Carolina's Martin Necas. The call would end Meier's night in Carolina. Necas returned to the Carolina bench after going down the tunnel before play had even resumed.

"When (the refs) see it live, they see it as clean and they review it because of the guy laying on the ice, after the fact," head coach Sheldon Keefe said of the incident. "Guy laying on the ice plays three and a half of the five minute major. That’s a tough one. A tough message for the players that if you take a big hit, laying down on the ice has its benefits."

"I think there was an injury there that might have been blown out of proportion there by the player and our team didn’t like it, so maybe a little extra physical and they pushed back," Cotter said. "It happens.”

With less than a minute to go in the Meier major penalty, the Hurricanes took their first lead of the night when Jackson Blake beat Allen for the 3-2 lead.

Tempers continued to flare through the third period, including a penalty on Erik Haula on Dmitry Orlov for a hit behind the net. The incident paved the way for several scrums to break out. Orlov originally skated to the bench to clean off his face from the blood that the hit produced. As Haula was being escorted to the penalty box by the referee, Orlov skated directly from his bench to Haula and pounced on the Devils forward.

"I also though the Orlov, Haula for that one to be two minutes each and for us to be on the power play after an official escorts their player off the ice, that’s a tough one,” Keefe said.

Jack Roslovic added a fourth Carolina goal. Roslovic added a second goal, an empty netter to bring the final score to 5-2.

Here are some observations from the game:

• Two of Allen’s biggest saves came in the second period while the Devils were shorthanded. The Devils struggle with puck management in the neutral zone, twice allowing the Hurricanes to break in with odd-man rushes and twice stopping Sebastian Aho, who has as lethal a shot as anyone in the league.

Allen returned to the net for the first time since Dec. 19.

"I thought he played great," Keefe said of Allen's performance. "Especially through two periods he looked like he was maybe a little gassed going into the third which is a product of the fact that he was overworked through two periods. We just gave up too many sequences and too many shots to our net.”

Allen had faced 29 shots through 40 minutes. The Hurricanes ended with 40 shots.

• Paul Cotter went 19 games without scoring a goal before his goal on Saturday against the Hurricanes. It was his eighth of the season and his 14th point of the season.

• After spending nine years of his NHL career in Carolina, Brett Pesce returned to his old stomping grounds for the first time since signing in the off-season with New Jersey. During the first TV timeout the Hurricanes welcomed Brett back with a tribute video. Hurricanes fans were on their feet, clapping and cheering through the video before Pesce saluted the crowd.

• Curtis Lazar returned to the lineup for the Devils after missing the last four games. Lazar initially returned to the lineup against the St. Louis Blues on December 17 but had difficulty with his knee brace, head coach Sheldon Keefe revealed pregame.

Lazar returned to his regular fourth-line center duties, centering, for the most part, Tomas Tatar and Nathan Bastian.

• Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere did not play on Saturday, out with an injury sustained on Friday in Newark. In replacement, the Hurricanes recalled former Devils defenseman Ty Smith, who appeared in his first game of the season with Carolina.