The Carolina Hurricanes entered Game 5 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a chance to end their series. They held a 3-1 series lead over the New Jersey Devils in the first round. And they could have been the first team to punch their ticket to the second round.

On Tuesday, they did just that. The Hurricanes defeated the Devils in double overtime by the score of 5-4 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal to send his team through to the next round. They will face either the Montreal Canadiens or Washington Capitals.

The Hurricanes are off to the second round for the fifth straight season. Carolina has made the Eastern Conference Finals once in this span. Last year, they did not. Carolina fell to the New York Rangers in the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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The Hurricanes experienced some roster turnover in the offseason. Jake Guentzel, William Carrier, and Brett Pesce were among the names to leave Raleigh last summer. In their place came Shayne Gostisbehere, Sean Walker, and Jack Roslovic. This outcome certainly has to make Carolina feel optimistic about its future outlook.

New Jersey, on the other hand, is likely disappointed. The Devils wanted to challenge for the Stanley Cup in 2025. They traded for goalie Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the Calgary Flames. And they signed Pesce as part of a defensive overhaul in free agency. The Devils returned to the playoffs, but they could not make a deep playoff run.

There are certainly tough questions ahead for the Devils. As for the Hurricanes, they are waiting to see who their second round opponent is. They are one step closer to their first Stanley Cup since 2006. Let's see if this team can finish the job and bring Lord Stanley's Cup back to Raleigh this summer.