Extra Time Thriller: Nemec Seals First Playoff Win For Devils

The tension inside the Prudential Center on Friday night was palpable, stretching through regulation and a full overtime period. The Devils had held a comfortable 2-0 lead until the third period, when the Hurricanes mounted a furious comeback to tie the game. Finally, in the second extra frame, Simon Nemec delivered a moment of pure jubilation for the Devils, his goal securing their first victory of the round one series against the Carolina Hurricanes. The hard-fought battle concluded, but the rivalry remains in Newark, with the Devils hosting the Hurricanes again on Sunday for Game 4, a game that now carries even greater weight.

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Palat – Hischier – Meier
Haula – Mercer – Bratt
Cotter – Glass – Noesen
Tatar – Dowling – Bastian

Pesce – Hamilton
Dumoulin – Kovacevic
Siegenthaler – Nemec

Markstrom
Allen

Carolina Hurricanes Lineup:

Jarvis – Aho – Blake
Hall – Kotkaniemi – Svechnikov
Martinook – Staal – Stankoven
Carrier – Roslovic – Robinson

Slavin – Burns
Orlov – Chatfield
Gostisbehere – Chatfield

Andersen
Kochetkov

Late into the opening period, with 3:49 remaining on the clock, Nico Hischier put New Jersey in a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the series. Ondrej Palat, who was down in the Devils’ zone, got hold of the puck and fired it through the neutral zone, which made its way to Timo Meier, who was near the blue line in Carolina’s zone on the right wall. Hischier took a lead pass from Meier as he skated in, scoring from in close.

In the second period, Frederik Andersen made a save to keep the score at 1-0. Meier shot on a net-mouth scramble, but Andersen made a highlight-reel glove save on him with 6:04 on the clock.

Dawson Mercer added a second tally for the Devils, making it 2-0 early into the third at 18:42 when with a wraparound from the side of the net after originally handing the puck over to Jesper Bratt back in New Jersey’s zone before getting it back on the left side of the net to increase the lead. Preserving the lead for New Jersey, Jacob Markstrom denied Sebastian Aho, who had a short-handed chance, but Markstrom made a left toe save soon after the second Devils’ tally. Cutting it to 2-1 at 13:41, Seth Jarvis scored the first for the Hurricanes, putting an end to Markstrom’s shutout with a power-play goal off a pass from Aho, who received the puck from Shayne Gostisbehere before driving up to pass it off to Jarvis. Picking up his second point of the night, Aho tied it up 2-2 with 7:40 left to play in the third period on a power-play goal after being fed by Andrei Svechnikov, who had the rebound.

One period of extra hockey was not enough for the Devils and Hurricanes, however, Simon Nemec put home the game-winner early in second overtime. Nemec split a pair of defenders after carrying the puck past the blue line, and struck from the right face-off circle, and the puck bounced off Andersen and into the net at 17:24 for the 3-2 final.

Simon Nemec on his game-winning goal, if it was a tough game going into double overtime, and how a valuable moment like his goal helps him with confidence: “An amazing feeling, especially in this tough season for me, but really big, big win for us and an important win. …Actually, I felt better each period. So for me, it was pretty good… we played a lot. Good rest tomorrow, and then we’re back on Sunday,” – “It helps me a lot. I feel like my confidence has been bad for the last couple of games. I’m just trying to play my game… my confidence is higher, and I just feel good about myself now.”

Jacob Markstrom on Nemec’s goal and the team’s performance: “It’s a good feeling. Obviously, I thought we played really well in overtime. We had some chances that we didn’t score on. For me, I just try to stay relaxed and not get too high when we’re having scoring chances, and that kind of stuff, and when the play is on the other end. It’s a good feeling. It was a very important game tonight. I think the fans at the Rock tonight carried us for that overtime. I thought we played a really, really hard-fought game with five D-men most of the game. We battled. That’s what we’ve been doing all season, and what we’re going to continue to do.”

Game Notes:

– Simon Nemec, who is 21 years old (69 days), is the second-youngest defenseman in NHL history to score a goal in overtime during the playoffs, behind only Andrei Zyuzin (20 years, 97 days; Game 4 of 1998 CQF).
– Jonathan Kovacevic left in the first frame, not returning for the remainder of the game due to an undisclosed injury. There is no update at this time. …The Devils are also playing without both Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes.
– Jacob Markstrom made a total of 25 saves for New Jersey.
– Jonas Siegenthaler was in the lineup for his first game since the 4th of February after being out with a lower-body injury. He had five hits and three blocked shots in 27:09 of ice time.
– Brian Dumoulin had played a game-high 36:24, and was plus-2 with four hits and five blocked shots.
– The Devils were 0-for-5 on the power play and are 0-for-10 in the series.
– The Devils outshot the Hurricanes 12-3 after regulation.
– This had been the longest game in history at the Prudential Center, which opened in 2007.
– Frederik Andersen made a total of 34 saves for Carolina.
– Sebastian Aho had a two-point night, picking up both a goal and an assist.
– Carolina killed all five New Jersey power plays, including two in overtime, and netted two power-play goals.
– In multi-overtime games, the Hurricanes fell 1-11 all-time.