Recap: Canes Pull Past Devils Late

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes scored five times in the final 21:30 on Saturday, putting together a late charge to take a 5-2 victory from the New Jersey Devils.

GAME SUMMARY | BOX SCORE | UPCOMING HOME GAMES

It took until the final minute of the second period to crack Devils netminder Jake Allen, but a one-time drive from Dmitry Orlov sparked some life into Lenovo Center. Carolina's 28th shot of the evening tied the contest after they'd conceded the game-opening goal earlier in the frame and created some momentum going to the finish.

When the third period got underway, the Canes had to show some resolve, falling behind for a second time just 65 seconds into the period. New Jersey's final lead of the night lasted just 51 seconds though, as Sebastian Aho had a near-immediate response for his group.

Midway through the third period, a kneeing major and game misconduct was assessed to New Jersey's Timo Meier, providing the home team with the opportunity they needed to jump in front. Jackson Blake tipped home a Jesperi Kotkaniemi shot, serving as the eventual game-winning goal.

Jack Roslovic added some insurance just 1:23 later, then supplemented his team-leading 15th goal of the season with an empty net tally.

Dustin Tokarski stopped 21 of 23 shots faced, earning his second win in three starts for the team.

Stats & Standouts

• With the win, Rod Brind'Amour becomes the fastest coach in NHL history to reach 300 wins. Besting Bruce Boudreau's record (496) by eight games, Brind'Amour has led the Canes to a record of 300-143-45 through six-plus seasons.
• After five recalls, four assignments, and watching 13 games as a healthy extra, Ty Smith made his long-awaited Hurricanes debut tonight. With Shayne Gostisbehere forced out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury, the team's new #42 skated in "Ghost's" spot at even strength alongside Sean Walker and even quarterbacked the first power play unit. His first NHL game since Jan. 18, 2023, he received lots of praise from Brind'Amour and Walker both post-game.
• This evening was Brent Burns' 200th game as a Hurricane. Since joining the team ahead of the 2022-23 season, he leads all defensemen on the team in assists (84) and points (115).
• Don't sleep on Seth Jarvis' ability to dish the rock. He produced his first three-assist game of his career tonight.
• This was Carolina's 14th win at Lenovo Center this season, tied with Toronto and Vegas for the most wins on home ice by an NHL team this season.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour following the win...

"I think the type of game that it was and the way it was going, we played really well and weren't getting any results. That's the way it's been going for us. I thought not changing our game was key, even though we gave them a weird one in the neutral zone for a breakaway and kind of a weird play off of the faceoff. There were a couple of things that really didn't go our way, but I just liked the way that we kept playing our game. We finally kind of got rewarded for it."

Jackson Blake on his game-winning tally and him snapping his 13-game goal drought...

"Any time you can provide something for your team, it's very exciting. I was super pumped to see that one go in. It was big for us. Our power play, that's kind of our motto, to just get it to the net and hope something goes in. Fortunately, tonight, it did... I've been waiting for a while [to get one to go in]. I wasn't even counting the games. Sometimes it takes a tip like that or a lucky bounce. It feels amazing and it feels great to get that win."

Rod Brind'Amour when asked for a few words on his 300th victory...

"Coaching is interesting. You get way too much credit when your team wins and you get abused when (they don't). It's not quite how it really works out. It's the group that you have. I've been blessed. We've talked about it a lot, we have a really good group - win or lose. You can count the times on your hand when it wasn't a solid effort. They give you what they can every night and that's something that I take the most pride in."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to be off on Sunday. They'll return to practice on Monday before departing for Columbus.

Next Game: Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Columbus | 8:00 p.m.

Next Home Game: Saturday, Jan. 4 vs. Minnesota | 7:00 pm | Tickets | Parking | Upcoming Theme Nights