Hurricanes Defeat Devils 4-1 in Playoff Opener

Logan Stankoven scored two second-period goals in his playoff debut with the Carolina Hurricanes, leading them to a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series. Jalen Chatfield opened the scoring for Carolina early in the first period, and Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal late in the third. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen made 23 saves, including a crucial stop on Timo Meier, while Carolina maintained strong defensive play and killed off a key Devils power play. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom faced relentless pressure, making 41 saves, but New Jersey struggled physically as multiple players left the game due to injuries. Nico Hischier netted the only goal for the Devils during a 4-on-4. The win marks a strong postseason start for Carolina, who had recently struggled in the regular season after clinching their playoff berth.