Andrei Svechnikov dominates as Hurricanes take series lead over Devils
- The Carolina Hurricanes won Game 4 against the New Jersey Devils 5-2, taking a 3-1 series lead.
- Andrei Svechnikov scored three goals and contributed significantly to the Hurricanes' offensive success.
- The New Jersey Devils struggled with their power play, falling to a 0 for 12 record against Carolina, putting them on the brink of elimination.
On April 27, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey, the Carolina Hurricanes achieved a significant victory against the New Jersey Devils, winning 5-2 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. This win allowed the Hurricanes to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Andrei Svechnikov played a pivotal role by scoring three goals, including an empty-netter that marked his second playoff hat trick. He capitalized on a power play that began the second period with a shot that deflected off his stick, giving Carolina a 3-0 lead early in the game. This strong offensive performance came after a previous double-overtime loss. Additionally, Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin contributed to the scoring, helping the Hurricanes recover from setbacks in their prior match. The Devils managed to score twice but could not overcome the early deficit. Timo Meier and Nico Hischier were notable players for the Devils, contributing offensively but ultimately unable to halt the Hurricanes' momentum. The New Jersey squad entered the playoffs with one of the top special teams and was expected to perform better. However, they struggled significantly with both their power play and penalty kill, going 0 for 12 on power plays against the Hurricanes, which had a top-ranked penalty kill in the league. The Devils' inability to capitalize on their numerical advantages proved detrimental, leaving them one loss away from elimination as they faced an uphill battle in the remaining games.