New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes; the bigger rivalry of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Game one Eastern Conference semi-final series. This will be the fifth meeting between the two franchises in the playoffs that will equal Carolina's five meetings with the Boston Bruins. But I'm telling you that the series with the New Jersey Devils going back to 2001 have had far more drama and strange twists and turns at the end than has the playoff history. With the Boston Bruins, although there's nothing quite like having what Scott Walker punch Aaron Ward in the face, although I love Aaron and for all I know because he's a resident of the triangle.

He might be listening, but that that just added so much spice to that particular series, but the others were just kind of. Hurricanes Devils. Now that's different story, especially from our perspective. EJ Radek from NHL Network is joining us now on the Adam Gold Show and you can watch my friend EJ Radek on NHL Network, NHL Now weekdays at 4 today throughout the rest of the playoffs. This is the real rivalry for us, EJ. I'm excited.

Yeah. Well, I mean the Devils and the canes have had some really good playoff series in the past and the canes have had a lot of success against the Devils. I don't think the Devils fans were that eager to see the Carolina Hurricanes come around.

They've dealt some some ugly blows in the past. Yeah, shock at the rock is certainly something that people remember Kevin Weeks robbing John Madden back in 2002, but I think the Devils are probably pretty happy to see anybody in the second round. I am curious because I know you're you're from that area as I as am I but this Devils team we knew was going to be good. But how far I mean, are they ahead of schedule in your mind because to me third best record in the NHL says a lot. Yeah, I mean, I think that they are ahead of schedule.

I mean now I know I got to watch again. I get like you you see all the Carolina games and you know, I try to watch everybody as best I can but it's certainly I get to go to Devils games more often because they're right here and I got to go to a lot of Devils games last year and it was very clear that this team was getting better. The problem was they were literally playing with an open net. I mean they had six or seven different goalies last year. None of whom really played very well for very long. There were many nights Adam where the Devils would come out score two goals have a lot of energy and then they would just give up five or six goals and like three of them would be really bad goals because when you're a goaltending is bad it just it's just like watching like the air come out of a balloon and everybody on the bench just it just has you know, again, they just they just shrug and they couldn't fix that problem last year and they were still a young group, right?

So this year they get VTech Vanna Jack. He comes in he plays well when Mackenzie Blackwood had played in, you know, an occasion this year. He played better and then they have Akira Schmid who's come in and he's played well this year. I mean he played I think 20 something games this year. He had a 922 save percentage of the regular season. He come in and he came in and kind of save the day for them against the Rangers in round number one and played very well.

So that's the biggest thing. So yeah, they're ahead of schedule for you know, for sure, but they would have been way better last year. Like I think they had like 60 something points last year. I mean that would have been a team that would have been competing for a playoff spot last year if they had had the same kind of goaltending now this year. They've made some additions. Jack Hughes is taken off to another level and you know, it's a different group. So, you know, they're ahead of schedule, but I think the goaltending last year really set them back and they've kind of fixed that problem at least for now.

EJ Radek, NHL Network, NHL Now, today at four and all during the playoffs at four o'clock. So there's no chance that Akira Schmidt is not the guy right? I mean, I mean, he was dominant in the he had one bad game and then they went right back to him.

So there's no way we're going to see a V Tech Vanna check sighting. Certainly not tonight, but I mean Schmidt would have to go off the deep end. Well, I mean, I don't know. I think, you know, Akira Schmidt has not played a million games in the NHL, right? I mean, and he hasn't had to play, you know, you know, eight games in 15 days.

So I don't know what the devil's plan is going to be there. I mean, V Tech Vanna check played well this year. He's played some good games against Carolina Hurricanes. And so like I could see him being in a game. I mean, I could see him even playing tonight. Now, I don't it seems like Schmidt is going to play.

But I mean, I think there's a lot of ways the devil's can go about their business, but Schmidt certainly has come in. He's a big guy. He's a flappable. He is, you know, at least personality wise. I was around him after his first win in game three. I mean, that's an overtime win on a Saturday night on national television across the, you know, across the country. And, you know, he finds a way to give him only one goal against the Rangers and keep help keep that season alive. So he's a pretty calm kid. And, you know, I assume he's going to be the guy that they're going to lean on. But, you know, this is the way to look at.

Look what's going on right in your backyard. You know, it was it was Ronta, then it was Freddy Anderson. And now we think it's going to be Freddy Anderson tonight. Who knows, baby? Maybe it'll be Peter Kuchetko.

Maybe Artur Zurba will come back. I don't know. I mean, like, you know, this is the way the world is now with bowling.

It is it is weird. I asked Rod Brind'Amour two different ways today who the goalie was. And all he would basically tell me was that he we have two healthy ones now. So I'm sure you'll see both in this series. I think it's going to be Freddy Anderson tonight. And I wouldn't be surprised if we see Ronta once or multiple times in this series. If Freddy, you know, owns the net, then he'll probably keep it.

But we've we've watched both of these guys all year long. I'm sure Auntie Ronta will have something to say about how Carolina advances. Let me ask you real quick.

We got a few minutes left here. Seattle just defies logic, I guess, although they have a very deep team. They don't have stars, really, but they've got a lot of guys that can score.

They did that to Dallas last night. You can throw in a comment about four-goal Joe Pavelski if you want. Yeah, I mean, well, that was an unbelievable story. I mean, the guy comes back from a significant injury, looked like a head injury, concussion problem, hadn't played in, you know, what? Ten days comes in, scores on his first shift, ends up scoring four goals. He's tipping pucks out of like just like he's hanging off a trip to trapeze or something. Just just incredible what he was doing. He also won every faceoff he took. He won nine for nine and he blocked three shots.

So I don't know. I don't know if he drove his ambonia between second and third, but he did pretty much everything in the game. So good for Joe. I'm really happy that he's healthy. And as for Seattle, they are relentless. They are resilient. They keep coming. I think Dallas was a little surprised with the speed after playing Minnesota, who was a slower group.

You know, in that room, they believe in what they're doing. And, you know, it's going to be a hard series for the Dallas Stars. I mean, they're already kind of behind the eight ball, losing one at home, although they lost it similar fashion to Minnesota losing an overtime game at home in their first series. So we'll see how it plays out. But again, five different goal scores again for Seattle last night. So, you know, take them at, you know, overlook Seattle at your own peril. I've been following them, but obviously, John Forslund, the voice of the crack.

And we I mean, I'm very good friends with John. So I paid attention to that team all year long. They they have guys on the fourth line that look just like guys on their first line. They are incredibly, incredibly balanced like that. I mean, is it is simple to say that Vegas, Edmonton will go as far as Vegas's penalty kill takes them? You know, that might very well be the case because, you know, unless Vegas can go through a playoff series taking no penalties, which I don't think that's ever happened before, more or less a game of, you know. Yeah, I think Vegas's penalty kill hasn't been very good all year. This is a weird team, Adam, because like you look at their numbers in the regular season, their special teams were not very good. I mean, the power play and penalty kill were not good. And yet they finished with the most points in the West. And they were one of them. And they played with several different goalies talking about goalies. Again, they got hurt, you know, and they just kept rolling guys out there. And yet they won the West and they would win a lot of one goal games. I mean, they were a team that, you know, just found ways to win three to two, one or three.

I mean, they found ways to win those games. So Mark Stone left the skate. I think it was either yesterday.

I think it was yesterday and kind of a slow with like it looked like maybe that back was flaring up. You know, if that if he can't play, that's a real negative, obviously, for Vegas. But I think you're right. I mean, I think at the end of the day, I mean, Edmonton's power play is just I mean, it's historically good. They've got great, great personnel on it.

And they're you know, but David just kind of circles and buzzes. And then it makes it hard to kind of get a read on exactly, you know, how to defend them. If we were to get a final between Edmonton and Carolina, kind of a redo of six, it would be a great matchup with Carolina's terrific penalty killers against the Oilers power play. I think that would be kind of a real game within a game. But I think you're right. Yeah, I'm sure you would.

I'm sure you would. I mean, in a minute, in a minute. Right. We would take it. All right. I've got like 30 seconds for E.J.

Radek. Nobody panicking in Toronto today, right? I know. Of course not.

I mean, what are you going to do? They lost Game one. They got to make adjustments. Now, the Florida Panthers, they won the president's trophy last year.

We've seen this kind of thing in the past the last several years, right? Washington president's trophy next year. They win Tampa Bay president's trophy the following year. They win Colorado.

Same thing. So maybe this is going to be the path for the Panthers. They are a for checking dynamo right now. Yeah, Brodsky seems to be on his game.

Brandon Montour all of a sudden has become Kale McCar. So I mean, gosh, we'll see. We'll see how it plays out. Toronto's got a good team. I expect that to be a longer series, but I won't be surprised if Florida wins. They're playing very well. They are E.J.

Radek. Appreciate your time, sir. Good to catch up.

We'll do it again. NHL now. 4 o'clock on NHL Network.

Talk to you soon. You got it, Adam. E.J. Radek from NHL Network. Yeah, there's nobody panicking in Toronto right now. Not at all. Not a single person is panicking.