Devils lineup today: New Jersey’s projected lineup for Game 1 against Carolina Hurricanes | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1, April 20, 2025

By Evan Bell

Modified Apr 20, 2025 07:00 GMT

NHL: Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils - Source: Imagn — Looking at the New Jersey Devils' projected lines for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (image credit: IMAGN)

The New Jersey Devils will look to kick off their Stanley Cup run on Sunday with a win when they head to Carolina to face off against the Hurricanes in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

The conference rivals both impressed in the regular season, with the Hurricanes finishing second in the Metropolitan Division and the Devils in third place.

Although New Jersey started the year strong, jumping out to an early lead in the divisional standings, the team ended with a 5-5 record, including a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

Meanwhile, Carolina isn't heading into the playoffs with much momentum on its side either. Over its final 10 games of the regular season, the team posted a 3-6-1 record, losing three in a row as it looks to turn things around at home on Saturday.

New Jersey Devils projected lines

Forwards

Stefan Noesen - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt
Erik Haula - Dawson Mercer - Timo Meier
Paul Cotter - Cody Glass - Daniel Sprong
Ondrej Palat - Justin Dowling - Nathan Bastian

Defense

Luke Hughes - Brett Pesce
Brian Dumoulin - Johnathan Kovacevic
Brenden Dillon - Dougie Hamilton

Goalies

Jacob Markstrom
Jake Allen

Powerplay

Dawson Mercer, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Luke Hughes
Stefan Noesen, Cody Glass, Ondrej Palat, Daniel Sprong, Dougie Hamilton

Penalty Kill

Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic
Dawson Mercer, Erik Haula, Brian Dumoulin, Brett Pesce

Odds for Devils-Hurricanes Game 1 clash

This season, the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes split wins and losses, going 2-2 in their regular-season series.

However, Carolina is a notable betting favorite heading into Sunday's showdown.

On DraftKings, the Hurricanes are -218 favorites while the Devils are +180 underdogs. On FanDual, Carolina is a -205 favorite and New Jersey is a +168 underdog.

It would take a $218 bet on Carolina to win $100 on FanDuel, and a $100 bet on New Jersey would net $180.

Game 2 will be on Tuesday.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez