Heading into Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday afternoon, the Carolina Hurricanes were the prohibitive favorite to beat the New Jersey Devils. And nothing in Carolina’s eventual 4-1 win over the Devils made anyone second-guess themselves over picking the Hurricanes.
Indeed, in many regards, Game 1 couldn’t have gone much worse for New Jersey. And now, the Devils are going to be hard-pressed to give the Hurricanes a truly tough test in any one game, let alone challenge the ‘Canes to actually win this series.
For one thing – and in particular, early in the game – the Hurricanes simply dominated New Jersey in every facet of the game. Just 2:24 into the first period, Carolina took the lead – and the Hurricanes kept on coming, outshooting the Devils 17-5 in the opening frame, and again outshooting New Jersey 21-8 in the middle frame. The rink was obviously tilted in the Hurricanes’ favor, and at no time did it ever feel like the Devils looked capable of challenging the ‘Canes for the lead.
More importantly, the Hurricanes’ dominance got in the heads of New Jersey’s players. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom did post a save percentage of .932 in Game 1, but Markstrom also committed a huge blunder late in the game, trying to take a whack at Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov in front of his net, only to slash his own player, Devils winger Cody Glass, who left the game.
Markstrom’s attack on his own teammate spoke to New Jersey’s general frustration with this game, as they couldn’t generate much of anything through the middle parts of the ice and in close in front of Carolina netminder Frederik Andersen, who stopped all but one of the Devils’ 24 shots.
New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe has the next day-and-a-half to try and figure out how to puncture the protective bubble the Hurricanes have essentially enveloped Andersen with.
Carolina’s possession game was a cut above New Jersey’s, and unless the Devils can get the defensive clamps put on the Hurricanes while jump-starting their own offense, this series could be over in four or five games. It’s that cut-and-dried for New Jersey, who failed every test put in front of them Sunday – the eye test, the data tests, all of it. It all points to a thorough and convincing ‘Canes series win.
The Devils aren’t a particularly bad team, but they’re not in the same vicinity as Carolina when it comes to being an elite team, especially with the absence of star Jack Hughes. Many things can and do change over a seven-game series, but the initial disaster of Game 1 makes it very clear for New Jersey: the Hurricanes look every bit the favorites in this first-round showdown, and the Devils look like a team that will be golfing in short order.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.