3 Keys: Devils at Hurricanes, Game 1 of Eastern 2nd Round

Meier game-time decision for New Jersey; Carolina looks to Staal to slow down Hughes

By Tom Gulitti

@TomGulittiNHL NHL.com Senior Writer

May 03, 2023

(2M) Devils at (1M) Hurricanes

Eastern Conference Second Round, Game 1

7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Timo Meier will be a game-time decision for the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Wednesday.

"It will really depend on how he feels," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.

The forward was a full participant in New Jersey's morning skate Wednesday after being injured on an open ice hit from defenseman Jacob Trouba 5:39 into the third period of a 4-0 win against the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Monday. Wearing a full shield-cage hybrid on his helmet, Meier took line rushes on the third line with Dawson Mercer and Yegor Sharangovich (who rotated with Jesper Boqvist) and worked with the first power-play unit.

Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 26, Meier had 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 21 regular-season games with the Devils and 66 points (40 goals, 26 assists) in 78 games overall.

Though Meier was held without a point in seven games in the first round, the Hurricanes are aware of the impact the 6-foot-1, 220-pound forward can have.

"He's a big, heavy player," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "He played really well. I don't think his numbers represent how well he played in the last series, but he's just another big player they added."

The Devils, playing in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012, were 2-1-1 against the Hurricanes during the regular season. Carolina was 2-2-0.

Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-7 series are 509-241 (.679) in NHL history but were 2-6 (.250) in the first round this season.

Here are 3 keys to Game 1:

1. Speed kills

The Hurricanes want to play fast. The Devils do, too. Each team will try to find the balance between playing with speed while attempting to prevent its opponent from doing so.

"I think we both know we're a good skating team and it should be a really high-paced game out there," New Jersey captain Nico Hischier said. "I think it at the end it just comes down to whoever executes his game plan better and tries to stay above guys."

Or as Ruff put it, "It's going to be a game of who can slow each other down."

2. Hughes vs. Staal

Carolina likely will match its line with captain Jordan Staal at center against Jack Hughes' line when it has last change on home ice. Staal, who can make hard it hard on opponents with his size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) and strength, was effective in helping limit the New York Islanders' top line of Anders Lee, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal to one 5-on-5 goal (scored by Barzal) in the three games at PNC Arena during the first round.

Hughes is smaller (5-11, 175), but quick and shifty. So containing him will be a challenge.

"Obviously, a great one, a player that can change the game in an instant," Staal said of Hughes. "He's got great speed and does everything at a high speed. So, against those players, it's always just time and space and getting in their face as quickly as you can and not give them any room."

3. Big goalies

Brind'Amour wouldn't reveal if Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta will start, but all signs point to Andersen, who hadn't played in the playoffs in two seasons before making 33 saves in a series-clinching 2-1 overtime victory at the Islanders in Game 6 of the first round.
Rookie Akira Schmid will start for the Devils after the 22-year-old went 4-1 with a 1.38 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and two shutouts after taking over for Vitek Vanecek in Game 3 of the first round against Rangers.

Andersen is 6-4, 238. Schmid is 6-5, 205. Which team can solve the opposing goalie first?

"Every goalie at this point is really good," Hurricanes forward Martin Necas said. "Their defense blocks a lot of shots for him. He's a big guy. He likes to play more in the net, he doesn't really come up. He won some big games for them. We've got to treat him like every other goalie."