The New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes in the first round are all about the matchups. Can the Devils and their great defensive unit stop the Hurricanes and their star power on offense? Will Jaccob Slavin and the rest of the defense shut down a top-heavy offense that already lacks Jack Hughes? Can a goaltender take over this series, or better yet, will one duo stand out?
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One of the matchups that will define the series is Rod Brind’Amour against Sheldon Keefe. It’s a matchup that favors Brind’Amour, who not only has recent success with the Hurricanes but is one of the best coaches in the NHL. Keefe has the odds stacked against him, yet his presence behind the bench gives the Devils a good chance of pulling off the upset.
Keefe’s Playoff Woes
It’s no secret that Keefe has a history of struggling in the playoffs. His failures go hand in hand with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their issues, as he won only one playoff series in his five seasons with the team. The Game 7 loss in the first round to the Boston Bruins was the final straw as the Maple Leafs fired Keefe with the hopes that the playoff demons would exit as well.
The big games were when Keefe and the Maple Leafs came up short. They were never ready to play at another gear when the pressure was at its highest. In Game 7, the team would always look underwhelming, and it’s why the Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning would always have their number.
Now, Keefe is away from the Maple Leafs and their apparent franchise curse, which prevents them from making playoff runs or winning the Cup (something they haven’t done since 1967). With this in mind, there’s no excuse for Keefe now. He’s a good coach, and the Devils are his chance to prove he’s a great one.
Brind’Amour’s Playoff-Ready Style
The Hurricanes always deliver in the playoffs, especially the first round, where they are 5-1 under Brind’Amour. They play playoff hockey all season, and it allows them to be prepared for the playoffs. They forecheck, defend, and win with puck possession, all of which are essential to success in the playoffs.
It’s reflective of Brind’Amour’s style that has the Hurricanes ready to compete in the big games. Every skater plays a 200-foot game, and it’s allowed depth skaters to stand out in the playoffs. The opponents often limit the top line and dare the bottom six to find the back of the net, something the Hurricanes prove they can do to take over games and a series.
Keefe balanced out the Devils and has them playing two-way hockey. The key is to have the team play both the physical game and the fast-paced one. They have a top six with speed and a bottom six with physicality, but lack the combination of both. It leaves the Devils with glaring weaknesses as they face a Hurricanes team ready to expose them.
How Keefe Matches Up Well Against Brind’Amour
The Devils play with structure and step up on the defensive end of the ice, something they failed to do in previous seasons but have fixed under Keefe. It explains why the Devils allow only 2.72 goals per game, and with Jack Hughes out with an injury, they were still good enough to get into the playoffs. Keefe won’t make it easy for the Hurricanes to generate offense, and the series will be a low-scoring one as a result.
It also helps that the Devils have a defensive unit that Keefe gets the most out of and will lean on in the first round. Dougie Hamilton is expected to return to begin the series, and Luke Hughes is stepping up at the point, giving Keefe two skaters who can generate offense from the blue line and take over the series. The Hurricanes have their scoring defensemen capable of taking over a series, and the Devils have two of them as well who can go toe-to-toe with them.
The offense has taken a step back since the Hughes injury, and the playoffs are when average offenses are shut down by great defenses. However, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier have led the top six, and if the series becomes high-scoring, they will give the Devils a chance. On top of that, when the game slows down and the Devils have the puck in the offensive zone, they have the firepower at the point to make a difference.
The Hurricanes are the favorites and are expected to win this series on their way to a deep playoff run. Yet, the Devils can’t be counted out, and Keefe will play a big role in making this series close. He’s been a .500 coach against Brind’Amour in his coaching tenure, and he has the Devils matching up well against their divisional rivals.
