North Raleigh Today

The Carolina Hurricanes are set to face the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, marking their second postseason meeting in three seasons. The Hurricanes concluded their regular season with a 47-30-5 record, securing second place in the Metropolitan Division. This marks their seventh consecutive postseason appearance, continuing a streak of having home-ice advantage for five straight seasons.

The Devils secured their playoff spot as the third seed in the same division, with a 42-33-7 record under new head coach Sheldon Keefe. The regular season saw both teams winning two games each against each other, with Carolina edging out New Jersey by a single goal in their series score.

Both teams dealt with significant roster challenges. New Jersey's lineup has been impacted by injuries, including the absence of star forward Jack Hughes. Other players such as Dougie Hamilton and Jacob Markstrom, however, are ready for the series. Jesper Bratt has been a standout for the Devils, reaching a career-high 88 points this season.

Carolina's power play performance diminished as the season progressed, while their penalty kill remained strong, topping the league. New Jersey maintained a powerful offensive presence, with their power play ranking third in the league.

For goaltending, the Hurricanes alternated between Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov after Andersen returned from injury, while New Jersey's Jacob Markstrom made his return after sidelined earlier this year. The Devils also have Jake Allen, who showed solid performance post-injury.

Players like Carolina's Seth Jarvis and New Jersey's Nico Hischier are expected to play key roles. Jarvis finished strong in the regular season, while Hischier performed exceptionally in the absence of Hughes.

Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal expressed confidence in the team's capabilities as they enter the playoffs. Forward Jordan Martinook noted the high energy felt around Raleigh during playoff time.

Fans can watch the series on FanDuel Sports Network South, with games held at the Lenovo Center and across the state.