Rocky Start, Lack of Finish Dooms Devils in Carolina | GAME STORY

If the New Jersey Devils said, "this is how we want the game to start."
It would not be how this one started.
Two goals on their first four shots of the night gave the Hurricanes a cushioned lead before the opening 15 minutes of play had concluded. But that final five minutes of the first period swung back in the Devils favor as Jesper Boqvist potted his first of the season to cut the lead to one.
The Devils played well for much of the rest of the way, but "finish" continues to be the buzzword surrounding Jersey. They put in a solid effort but the goals just weren't coming, ultimately resulting in a 2-1 win for the Canes.
"We missed three breakaways," said Head Coach Lindy Ruff. "You know, it's kind of the same sort of picture that we painted in Tampa, where we had a lot of good opportunities but you don't finish. We had the opportunities to get back in the game and take a lead in the game in the second period and we weren't able to capitalize on some of those key offensive opportunities."
It's difficult to hear the same thing over and over, but the Devils played a good game they just once again did not get rewarded for their efforts.

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The Devils finish their road trip in Toronto on Monday. The game can be seen on MSG and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:38 p.m. ET.
Here are some other observations, notes, and quotes from the game...
"Yeah. That was a good game for me," he said. "I feel like our line had some good chances. And obviously nice to get the first one out of the way."
"I thought he really skated well," said Ruff. "You know, he was dangerous almost every time he was on the ice and scored the goal and had two or three other opportunities."
"He bounced back and made some real good saves," said Ruff. "He made some good saves on that last power play, which allowed us the opportunity to pull the goaltender and try to [get the tying goal]."