RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New Jersey Devils have experienced their share of adversity in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But it felt a little different in a 5-1 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at PNC Arena on Wednesday. The visitors struggled to gain the time and space to generate the speed that has become so synonymous with this group throughout the season and in these playoffs.
If the result sounds familiar, it should. The Devils lost 5-1 to the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round, a best-of-7 series they eventually won 4-3.
"There was not a lot of ice," New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought we got our game going in the second period, but this is going to be a different type of series, where any ice you get, you're going to have to earn.
"Battles on the wall ... you're going to have to win. There will not be a lot of free plays going up the wall, not a lot of uncontested pucks in the paint where someone isn't coming down on you, making you make a play."
New Jersey did improve its compete and territorial time in the second period, but by that time Carolina had already built a 3-0 advantage.
"We didn't get to our game; we were a little soft on pucks, were a little slow getting to pucks in supporting each other," Devils forward Jesper Bratt said. "When you're not supporting each other or skating against a team like this, it's going to be hard. You're not going to create that much. I feel at the same time, we didn't take the shots that we needed to take and sometimes it's the slightest funnel to the net that can create a big opportunity.
"That's something we got to learn to take into Game 2."
New Jersey managed one shot on goal on seven shot attempts in the first period. They didn't record a shot until Nathan Bastian's 74-foot dump on goal that Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen turned away with his right pad at 12:15.
"In the first game against the Rangers, we were lacking that playoff hockey and had a little too many immature mistakes that fueled their offense," Bratt said. "I think there were some similarities there [Wednesday], but I just felt like, overall, we didn't get to our speed or our intensity as we have to be in this kind of series."
The Devils didn't generate much 5-on-5 and went 0-for-2 with one shot on the power play.
Additionally, Akira Schmid, who played such a huge role in New Jersey's first-round triumph, was under siege early and often when Carolina outshot (10-1) and outscored (2-0) the Devils in the first.
The 22-year-old rookie was eventually pulled in favor of Vitek Vanecek 1:55 into the second period after allowing three goals on 11 shots.
"It has nothing to do with our goalie," Ruff said. "I could have taken multiple players out."
Vanecek allowed one goal on 11 shots in 37:01 of relief.
"I mean, they have big bodies," Schmid said. "They work hard, and they made my life hard, getting in front of my face and taking away my eyes. [Vanecek] played amazing, so it was the right move."
Ruff wouldn't reveal if he would consider a goalie change for Game 2 on Friday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, TVAS), but he did offer Schmid some encouragement after the loss.
"I gave him a fist-bump to the blocker when I walked by him just to let him know that it had nothing to do with him," Ruff said.
Vanecek lost Games 1 and 2 against the Rangers by identical 5-1 scores, allowing nine goals on 53 shots.
Schmid then started the next five, going 4-1 with a 1.38 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and two shutouts.
"You never want to see (a goalie pulled)," Bastian said. "He's obviously been so good for us, and the players take the ownership when the goalie gets pulled. We don't look at that like that's an Akira thing.
"I think our goalies have been awesome all year, so it's not something we want to see. But obviously the way Akira has bounced back before, I think he'll be fine."
New Jersey also missed the physicality provided by forward Timo Meier, who was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury and is day to day.
"Every team deals with injuries," Ruff said. "You deal with bodies, you got to get by. We need to be a lot better as a group."
