The Mycenaean

After the Devils took down the Rangers in a winner take all game 7 in New Jersey, the Canes finally have their second round opponent. Jack Hughes and company will head to Raleigh for game 1 of the second round series on May 3. 

The Hurricanes have a lot of playoff experience. Between Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, Brent Burns, and many more, the Canes know what to expect in a second round matchup in the NHL. the Devils on the other hand, don’t have that experience. The average age of the New Jersey Devils is a staggering 26.1 years old. This is really young for a playoff team. 

A huge factor for the Canes is to use the Devils lack of playoff experience. Converting on early power play opprotunities is huge for Carolina’s success. 

Another key to taking the series for Carolina is staying healthy. Jack Drury is back and will play in game 1 which provides the Canes with much needed depth at forward. If Carolina is able to stay healthy and keep up with a fast paced Devils team, they should be cruising to the Eastern Conference Final.

The final key to success for Carolina is goaltending. Both Freddie Andersen and Antti Raanta were exceptional for Carolina in round 1. Due to the lack of goal scorers for the Canes, both Raanta and Andersen need to be great for Carolina to win this series.

To put it frankly, the path is there for Carolina. With both the 1 seed in the east and reigning champs being eliminated in round 1, Carolina will maintain home ice for the remainder of the playoffs. 

If Carolina is able to take care of business against Jersey, they will matchup against either Toronto or Florida. Carolina has a special chance to make a run at the Cup, and it starts with a series win against the Devils.