The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Sunday. Listed here are some takeaways from the day’s motion.
The New Jersey Devils are in bother
Yearly there may be all the time that one staff that goes into the playoffs with simply rancid vibes. A staff that everyone is aware of has no juice left and might be simply ready for his or her season to finish.
That staff this season is the New Jersey Devils.
Not solely as a result of they struggled down the stretch, however as a result of they’re additionally with out their finest participant in ahead Jack Hughes as a result of a season-ending damage. There may be simply no method to exchange a expertise like him, and whereas the Devils do have a stable staff with good depth they don’t have one other game-breaking participant that may take over on any given night time.
They merely seemed overmatched in a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Sport 1 on Sunday, fully unable to cope with their forecheck or break by means of their protection.
If the Devils are going to have an opportunity on this sequence they’re both going to wish beginning goalie Jacob Markstrom to steal a couple of video games, or one thing within the Devils’ general play goes to must dramatically change from what we’ve seen from them over the previous few weeks.
Logan Stankoven makes nice first playoff impression for Hurricanes
One of many extra fascinating developments to look at this postseason would be the efficiency of Carolina’s Logan Stankoven compared to Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen.
The Hurricanes acquired Stankoven as a part of the pre-deadline blockbuster commerce that despatched Rantanen to the Stars. It was a surprising commerce as a result of Carolina had simply acquired Rantanen a couple of weeks earlier within the hopes he might assist get them to a Stanley Cup Closing. However when it turned clear they might not re-sign him, they opted to commerce him as a substitute of danger shedding him for nothing in free company.
From a giant image perspective, getting Stankoven and two future first-round picks was a powerful return and a possible long-term win. It simply could not get them nearer to a championship this season.
However whereas Rantanen’s line badly struggled in Dallas’ first playoff recreation, and whereas he has struggled to make the anticipated influence because the commerce, Stankoven shined in his playoff debut with Carolina scoring a pair of objectives.
