Stankoven scores twice to help Hurricanes beat Devils 4-1 to open 1st-round playoff series

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes just wanted to be healthy going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, even as it meant resting key players and stumbling down the stretch of the regular season.

The first payoff came Sunday.

Logan Stankoven scored two second-period goals in his first playoff game with Carolina as the Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 to open their first-round series. Carolina led 3-0, more than doubled New Jersey's shot output and kept the pressure on in a strong start to the postseason.

“Obviously it was pretty clear that I think we were looking forward to this day for a bit now,” goaltender Frederik Andersen said.

Jalen Chatfield scored a first-period goal for the Hurricanes, who kept steady pressure on Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom. Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net clincher late in the third.

Carolina had lost seven of its last eight regular-season games since clinching its seventh straight playoff trip on April 3, several coming with stars and key contributors out of the lineup. In that sense, it had been a long wait to get here, back on home ice with a rowdy home crowd in playoff mode.

“There's always that worry that maybe you come out a little sluggish or whatever,” coach Rod Brind'Amour said. “But obviously that wasn't the case. And we were healthy, a healthy group. So it was a calculated risk maybe, but at least after Game 1, that was the right decision.”

Andersen finished with 23 saves for Carolina, including a key stop on Timo Meier near the crease midway through the third. The Hurricanes also turned away a Devils power play with about eight minutes left to stay in firm control.

Nico Hischier got New Jersey's only goal by taking Jesper Bratt’s cross-ice pass and blasting the puck past Andersen during a 4-on-4 chance in the second.

Carolina finished with a 45-24 shot advantage.

“They're not doing anything special,” Hischier said. "They play simple hockey, hard hockey, and we’ve just got to match that.”

Markstrom finished with 41 saves on what turned out to be a rough afternoon physically for the Devils, who had multiple players skating to the tunnel with injuries.

First defenseman Brenden Dillon went down in the second period after getting tangled with Carolina's William Carrier, then struggled to stay on his feet before being helped to the tunnel. Coach Sheldon Keefe said Dillon wanted to return but doctors held him out.

Later, the Devils lost two players on a single chaotic sequence in the third, which started with defenseman Luke Hughes laying in the net then doubled over in pain while reaching for his left shoulder. Almost immediately, Markstrom took a whack at Svechnikov near the top of the crease only to inadvertently hit center Cody Glass and knock him to the ice

While Hughes was able to return, Glass was assisted to the tunnel and Keefe had no update on Glass afterward.

Chatfield got the Hurricanes off to a quick start with a goal just 2:24 into the game. Then it was a big day for Stankoven, who was the primary return in a trade-deadline deal that allowed Carolina to pivot out of its big-swing January addition of scoring winger Mikko Rantanen.

Stankoven first zipped the puck past Markstrom off a feed from Jordan Martinook, who had forced Hischier into a turnover along the boards, at 6:37 of the second. He struck again on the power play, with Stankoven blasting a shot past Markstrom and off the inside of the left post for the 3-0 edge.

“I thought the second period, we were just overwhelmed,” Keefe said. “That was not good enough. The third period was good. The damage was done by then.”

Game 2 of the series is Tuesday.

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New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) gathers in the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) watches the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the third period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov, center, celebrates his goal with Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) and Taylor Hall (71) during the third period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the New Jersey Devils in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

New Jersey Devils' Nico Hischier (13) battles for the puck with Carolina Hurricanes' Dmitry Orlov (7) during the first period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

New Jersey Devils' Stefan Noesen (11) watches the puck go wide off Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) with Dmitry Orlov (7) nearby during the first period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) carries the puck to challenge New Jersey Devils' Brett Pesce (22) during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven, left hugs Logan Stankoven (22) following his goal with New Jersey Devils Jacob Markstrom (25) nearby during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

New Jersey Devils' Jesper Bratt (63) is checked into the board by Carolina Hurricanes' Jalen Chatfield (5) during the first period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) watches the shot of Carolina Hurricanes' William Carrier (28) bounce nearby during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) blocks a shot of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Martinook (48) controls the puck in front of New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven (22) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven (22) left, celebrates his goal with Brent Burns (8) during the second period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the New Jersey Devils in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

This is not exactly what the NFL and Netflix had in mind when they thought they would be getting big-name quarterbacks Jayden Daniels vs. Dak Prescott and a high-stakes matchup of NFC East rivals Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys in the Christmas Day spotlight.

As things stand now, it is hard to imagine many folks eagerly anticipating a meeting Thursday between bad teams that will miss the playoffs — and with Daniels, who has been shut down for the season after a series of injuries limited him to just seven appearances, doing no more than appearing on the sideline in street clothes.

“When you do circle those matchups, that’s exactly what you’re thinking: This is going to be cool. How it’s all laid out — division games right here at the end between two games of Philadelphia with a Dallas game in between,” said Washington coach Dan Quinn, whose team dropped to 4-11 by losing to the Eagles last Saturday and will close against that same club in Week 18.

“Playing these division games, they still mean a lot. They mean a lot to the players, the coaches and the fans,” Quinn said, perhaps trying to persuade himself and his locker room as much as anyone. “And so that part is still good, but not to the level that you wanted it to be.”

Or anyone would, really.

As Quinn put it: “You never want a season like this.”

The Cowboys haven't been as terrible as the Commanders, who have dropped nine of their past 10 games and were eliminated weeks ago. But a 6-8-1 record under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer after trading elite pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay means Dallas is out of the postseason for the second year in a row.

Owner Jerry Jones called that outcome “disappointing.”

“We all underachieved, really,” Jones said.

The Cowboys have a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season for the second time in franchise history. The other was in 2019, when Dallas also missed the playoffs.

Prescott just secured his fourth 4,000-yard season, which ties Tony Romo’s club record. Javonte Williams has the first 1,000-yard season of his five-year career in his Dallas debut after an injury-plagued stint in Denver. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens have been a dynamic pairing all season. Pickens has a shot at 1,500 yards receiving in his first 1,000-yard season following the trade that brought him from Pittsburgh. Lamb will fall short of his All-Pro total of 1,749 yards two years ago, but has been mostly productive despite a sprained ankle that essentially cost him four games.

Six years ago, Dallas finished 8-8 despite great stats for Prescott (career-high 4,902 yards passing), Ezekiel Elliott (1,357 yards rushing) and Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup (each over 1,100 yards receiving).

The Cowboys moved left guard Tyler Smith to left tackle last week with backup Nate Thomas struggling as the fill-in for the injured Tyler Guyton. Schottenheimer said Smith would protect Prescott’s blind side the rest of the season.

Smith played left tackle as a rookie in 2022, when perennial Pro Bowler Tyron Smith was injured in training camp and missed most of the season. The Cowboys thought Tyler Smith could be more impactful at guard, but his talent might force a permanent move to the most important spot on the line.

“I’m gonna do what’s best for the team,” Tyler Smith said. “I’m a smart player. I understand who I am, where I am and, ultimately, what I’m getting paid to do.”

Both of these teams have been among the worst at stopping opponents all season, and the men who started 2025 as defensive coordinators — Matt Eberflus for Dallas, and Joe Whitt Jr. for Washington — could be looking for new jobs soon. Eberflus moved from the sideline up to the coaches' box last weekend, with no signs of that making a difference. Whitt shifted the opposite way, from the box to the sideline, in Week 10, then was stripped of play-calling duties by Quinn, who took over that responsibility in Week 11.

AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon in Frisco, Texas, contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) makes a touchdown catch past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Cam Hart (20) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) prepares to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Injured Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels looks on before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)