NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Simon Nemec scored 2:36 into the second overtime and the New Jersey Devils beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round NHL playoff series.
Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer scored in regulation for New Jersey and Jacob Markstrom had 25 saves. The Devils cut their series deficit to 2-1 after losing the first two games of the best-of-seven series on the road.
Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes, and Frederik Andersen finished with 34 saves.
Game 4 is Sunday back at Prudential Center, and Game 5 is Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C.
In the second OT, Nemec brought the puck up the right side, made a deke move in the right circle and fired it past Andersen.
Both teams had chances in the first overtime and the goalies came up with big saves and blocked shots. New Jersey, which had two power plays in the period, had an 8-2 advantage on shots.
Mercer pushed the Devils' lead to 2-0 at 1:17 of the third period after Andersen made a pad save to deny Jesper Bratt's driving attempt. With the goalie out of position, Mercer went behind the net to get the puck and brought it in front on the left side but whiffed on his attempt to tuck it in. However, Andersen dove to get back in the play and knocked the puck across the line with his stick.
Jarvis got the Hurricanes on the scoreboard with a power-play goal from the right circle at 6:11.
Aho tied it with another power-play goal with 7:40 left. Markstrom came out to his left to make a save on a shot by Andrei Svechnikov, who got the puck back and passed to to Aho in the right circle and he fired it past Siegenthaler and Hischier in front of the net.
Markstrom had a nice glove save on a shot by Jesperi Kotkaniemi with 25 seconds left in regulation to keep it tied.
The Devils got defenceman Jonas Siegenthaler back for the first time since Feb. 4, but were without Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon for the second straight game. New Jersey then lost another defenceman when Johnathan Kovacevic didn’t return after the first intermission.
The Devils had the first five shots on goal of the game and the Hurricanes didn't get their first shot until 9:06 elapsed when Markstrom turned aside an attempt by Logan Stankoven seconds before a power play expired.
Timo Meier found Hischier streaking to the net, and Hischier appeared to lose control of the puck as he tried to move it to his forehand, but the puck slid across the goal line on the left side to put the Devils up 1-0 with 3:49 left in the first. It was New Jersey's third goal of the series and second by Hischier.
The Devils nearly added to their lead late in the second period during a scramble in front of Andersen, but the goalie was down on his stomach and gloved Meier’s attempt from the left side with 6:04 remaining.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Vin A. Cherwoo, The Associated Press
