Fansided

Hurricanes Eliminate Devils in Game 6, Move to Eastern Conference Final

By Richard Jelinek |
RALEIGH, NC - MAY 11: Jesper Fast #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a goal and celebrates with his teammates during the overtime of Eastern Conference Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 11, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hurricanes defeat Devils 3-2. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - MAY 11: Jesper Fast #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a goal and celebrates with his teammates during the overtime of Eastern Conference Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena on May 11, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hurricanes defeat Devils 3-2. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images)

The Carolina Hurricanes made short work of the New Jersey Devils in round 2. The Canes are moving on after a 3-2 overtime win against the Devils in game 6 at the PNC Arena. Carolina forward Jesper Fast scored 7:00 into overtime to send the Devils packing. An impressive round against a similar opponent for the Hurricanes.

Carolina Hurricanes advances to conference final

Canes experience too much for Devils

One of the reasons that Carolina is moving on is because of their veteran depth. Derek Stepan, Jordan Staal, Paul Stastny, Brent Burns, Jaccob slavin, and Brady Skeji all played a pivotal role in the Canes advancing, although many of these players did not light up the scoreboard. They knew how to play and when to play a certain way due to their experience. These players showed that experience and veteran leadership can make a difference in the playoffs. These players also provided grit and defensive play that allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to shut down the Devils for five out of the six games.

Akira Schmid will be a star in the league

Devils goaltender Schmid did have some games where he did not perform well. He also had games where he was lights out. Schmid is only 23 years old and has stolen games in a playoff series. In the regular season, Schmid was 9-5-2 with a 2.13 GAA and a .922 save percentage. In the playoffs, he recorded a 4-3 record with a 2.29 GAA and a save percentage of .921. His totals did dip a bit in the playoffs but so did the Devils defense. Schmid made his case to be a starter in the league and for three games, he proved he belongs in the league. He is a star in the making and could be a reason the Devils are right back in the playoffs next season.

Hurricanes will face Toronto or Florida

Carolina’s next opponent has not been decided for the Eastern Conference final yet. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers square off on Friday night in what could be the final game of that series, as Florida has a 3-1 series lead. regardless of who wins and when, they will meet Carolina in the next round. The Hurricanes had a 1-2 record against Toronto in the regular season, playing two games in Carolina as the maple Leafs outscored the Hurricanes 11-8. Against the Panthers, The Hurricanes posted a 2-1 record. Two of those games were in Florida and the Canes outscored the Panthers 10-7.

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