Without wanting to blame any specific players on the New Jersey Devils side, they made some crucial plays in game five against the Carolina Hurricanes. You will now have a chance to think about it all summer long before coming back invigorated.
In Thursday night’s overtime, Jonas Siegenthaler sent the disc into the Raleigh audience without it touching the bay window. This offered the “Canes” an automatic power play that Jesper Fast took advantage of.
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“It’s the second time I’ve lost a series in this amphitheater to a puck in the stands. “I have to ask for the bay windows to be extended,” head coach Lindy Ruff said with a brief smile at the press conference.
When Ruff was on the bench for the Buffalo Sabers in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals, defenseman Brian Campbell shot the puck home. Rod Brind’Amour, the current Hurricanes pilot, scored on the ensuing power play to score the winning goal of game number seven.
To err is human, we sometimes like to remember that. In the middle of the second period, Timo Meier also missed the golden chance to make it 3:1, but his shot from close range missed the target.
“We were a bit unlucky, a few chances to save with the game but hey… They took advantage of an overtime power play. It’s not a nice way to lose. We played pretty well tonight but it wasn’t enough,” said forward Jack Hughes, who sacrificed his body to play the pass to Meier.
Promising future
Several core Devils players had barely seen the playoffs. This is especially true for Hughes and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey had a season that far exceeded expectations, but the playoffs are where “real” hockey is played.
“I don’t think many people believed in us and here we are. But that doesn’t make it nicer [le résultat final]“Admittedly captain Nico Hischier who was struggling to hold back his tears.
“I think a lot of guys got a lot of experience and now they understand that the playoffs are a different story. It’s difficult to get there and it’s even more difficult to get ahead,” said the veteran Ruff, who is one Stanley Cup off the list.
“The future is bright,” he added. You’ll see the seasons of our best players, from Nico to Jack to Bratt. You mustn’t feel sorry for yourself, because the next year will also be very difficult. We can no longer surprise anyone. It’s going to get harder.
In 2022–2023, the Devils had the most prolific regular season in their history, collecting 112 points. It’s also only the second time they hit the 50-win plateau.