NJ Devils Let One Slipped By Them Against The Carolina Hurricanes

Newark, N.J. —If the Devils want to play late in March, they better figure out how to start fast on competitive teams unless they will packing up there skates sooner rather than later.

The Carolina Hurricanes are 15-0-2 in their last 17 games and haven’t lost since Dec. 6 when they loss 4-3 at Anaheim in overtime. Carolina’s last defeat in regulation time was Nov. 23.

Andrei Svechnikov scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Carolina Hurricanes extended their franchise-record winning streak with a 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday at the Rock.

Antti Raanta had 24 saves and played lights out in between the pipes. Raanta improved to 10-2-2 this season. The 33-year-old goaltender had shutouts in his previous two games at home, 4-0 against Florida and 3-0 over Chicago.

“Great battle from the whole team,” Raanta said. “We keep playing the same way. We don’t change what is working.”

Both goaltenders played well in overtime including NJD’s Mackenzie Blackwood denying Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin on a breakaway after the teams combined for five goals in a crazy period after Carolina led 2-1 after the second period. Blackwood made 43 saves.

Jesper Bratt scored twice, and Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier had a goal apiece for New Jersey, who are 2-7-2 in their last 11 games overall.

Derek Stepan scored twice while Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas also scored for Carolina, who have won 11 straight and recorded a point in 17 straight games (15-0-2) — also a franchise record Raanta stopped all three Devils attempts in the shootout.

“At the end of the day, that was a good two points,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We’ll take it.”

With both teams playing four-on-four, Devils Bratt scored his second of the game and 14th of the season from at 13:48 mark of the third. That goal put the Devils up 4-3 but Carolina’s Martin Necas tied the game for a fourth time with a power-play goal, his 16th goal this season at 15:32.

“We always know we have a chance to come back,” Raanta said. “Today was a great example of that. We made the game 4-4, battled through overtime and got the win in a shootout.”

Svechnikov bailed the Hurricanes out in the shootout which Carolina came very close letting the game slip away.

UP NEXT:

Devils will travel to play the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, Jan 3rd at 7:00 P.M.