New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes Picks and Predictions April 27th 2025

New Jersey Finds Life After Double-OT Thriller

Simon Nemec’s second-overtime heroics on Friday night gave the New Jersey Devils a much-needed spark, helping them climb back into their first-round Eastern Conference series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Now, the Devils will look to even the best-of-seven battle when they host Game 4 on Sunday afternoon in Newark, N.J.

Nemec, inserted back into the lineup after being scratched in Game 2, scored the game-winner at 2:36 of the second overtime, giving the Devils a 3-2 victory and trimming Carolina’s series lead to 2-1. His clutch goal capped off a gritty performance by a New Jersey blue line that’s been decimated by injuries.

Defensemen Brenden Dillon, Luke Hughes, and Johnathan Kovacevic were all unavailable due to injuries, forcing heavy minutes onto Jonas Siegenthaler and others. Despite a third-period collapse that allowed Carolina to tie the game with two power-play goals, the Devils showcased resilience under playoff pressure.

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“Our whole team dug in tonight,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Fitting that Nemec gets the game-winner for us.”

Hurricanes Seek to Regain Control

The Carolina Hurricanes enter Game 4 knowing they must sharpen their attack to avoid letting New Jersey completely back into the series. After dominating Game 1, Carolina has been outshot 74-62 over the past two games, including a 37-27 margin in Friday’s loss.

Carolina’s typically stout five-on-five play faltered in Game 3, leaving goaltender Frederik Andersen to shoulder the load. Andersen’s remarkable save sequence in the second period kept the Hurricanes alive long enough to force overtime, but the team’s inability to generate consistent pressure ultimately cost them.

“We were just hanging in there,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour admitted. “We have to get back to our forecheck and play our game.”

Special teams will be a focal point for both sides. Despite scoring two power-play goals Friday, Carolina’s man-advantage unit has largely struggled, converting only 3-of-13 opportunities so far.

The Devils must also clean up their penalties if they want to extend their playoff hopes, a key angle for bettors to monitor when making NHL Picks Today.