On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils season came to an with the Carolina Hurricanes eliminating them after five games.
In Game 5, Sheldon Keefe's squad blew a 3-0 lead before watching Sebastian Aho rifle a power-play one-timer past Jacob Markstrom in double overtime to end the series:
If you look at the five-game set, the Devils actually had more goals at 5-on-5, with 10 to Carolina's 9, but lost the special-teams battle.
Carolina's power play operated at 31.6 percent, going 6-for-19, while their penalty kill was killer, not allowing a single power-play goal despite being shorthanded 15 times.
Ironically, when the Hurricanes eliminated the New York Islanders in five games last season, the script was very similar.
The Islanders were the better team at 5-on-5, outscoring Carolina 10-9, just like the Devils.
But also, like the Devils, the Islanders were no match for the Hurricanes' special teams.
Carolina went 5-for-15 on the power play (33.3%) and 11-for-14 on the penalty kill (72.7%).
Although the Islanders weren't eliminated after blowing a three-goal lead, they did so in Game 2. They found themselves up 3-0 in the third period before being outshot 17-1, allowing four goals in a devastating loss that had them heading to UBS Arena in a 2-0 hole.
The Hurricanes' relentlessness is what makes them so difficult to play against. They are going to shoot from everywhere, forecheck like no other -- okay, maybe Florida.
Their goaltending, at times, will be questionable, but they create enough opportunities for themselves, which includes drawing power plays, to give themselves every chance to win in the early rounds.
What has held Carolina back is their lack of superstar talent compared to the other NHL elites, along with their goaltending.
While the Islanders and Devils' series against Carolina ended in five games, the series was much closer than that. The result was still the same.
Carolina awaits the outcome of the Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens series, with the Capitals leading four games to one.
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