RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Martinook scored a go-ahead short-handed goal in the second period and Frederik Andersen came up big in net all night to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 on Tuesday for a 2-0 lead in their first-round NHL playoff series.

Shayne Gostisbehere also scored in the second for Carolina, while Seth Jarvis added a clinching empty-net breakaway goal in the final minute. That was enough for the Hurricanes, who had a much tougher fight on their hands against the short-handed Devils than in a Game 1 romp.

Andersen made 25 saves and didn’t allow the Devils to find the back of the net for the final 56 minutes, including a big stop on a shot by Nathan Bastian with about six minutes left.

Jesper Bratt scored the Devils’ lone goal while Jacob Markstrom finished with 25 saves for New Jersey.

The Hurricanes had dominated the series opener in Sunday’s 4-1 win, leaving coach Sheldon Keefe and his players lamenting the Devils’ inability to match Carolina’s relentless edge in what captain Nico Hischier described as “simple hockey, hard hockey.”

Martinook, Andersen help Hurricanes push past Devils 3-1 for 2-0 lead in playoff series | iNFOnews.ca — Carolina Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov (37) battles with New Jersey Devils’ Simon Nemec (17) for control of the puck during the second period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

It didn’t help, too, that New Jersey was down defencemen Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon from Game 1 injuries. But the Devils got the determined effort they needed to stay in this one, starting when they pinned Carolina in its own end early to set up Bratt’s cleanup of a rebound for the game’s first goal at 3:51 of the opening period.

It also included former Hurricane Brett Pesce personally saving two goals for the Devils on loose pucks against Markstrom, including one coming seconds after Gostisbehere pounced on his own rebound to beat Markstrom. On that one, Pesce knocked a puck out as it laid on the goal line — but not fully across it — behind Markstrom.

He also cleaned up one on Taylor Hall’s near score on a push under Markstrom in traffic.

But ultimately, Carolina did enough to keep the pressure on. The winner fittingly went to the veteran Martinook on a strong attacking night, coming moments after the Devils were lined up for a faceoff to start a power play.

Dmitry Orlov collected the loose puck and sent a transition pace to spring Martinook, who blasted a shot past Markstrom at the 5:54 mark of the second to put Carolina ahead for good.