Following the Carolina Hurricanes' 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a known Hurricanes supporter, expressed his satisfaction with the win and criticized the Devils' playing style on social media. He remarked on the physicality of the game, stating the Devils were "too good for such dirty play."
The game was a hard-fought contest with numerous penalties. The Devils accumulated five penalties totaling 21 minutes, while the Hurricanes had four penalties for eight minutes. Both teams registered 41 hits. The score was tied going into the final period until Ondrej Palat put the Devils ahead. However, the Hurricanes responded swiftly with a goal from Sebastian Aho to tie the game. Jackson Blake then scored the game-winning goal for Carolina, followed by two more from Jack Roslovic to secure the victory.
This win followed a 4-2 Devils victory over the Hurricanes the previous night. Both teams are top contenders in the Eastern Conference and are potential rivals for the conference finals. The Devils currently lead the Metropolitan Division with 51 points, while the Hurricanes are in third place with 45 points.
