The New Jersey Devils needed a win in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils saw Jonas Siegenthaler return to the lineup after spending nearly three months away due to injury. He certainly played well in this contest. However, it was young defenseman Simon Nemec who made the most significant impact.

Nemec carried the puck into the offensive zone. He made a move around the Carolina defense to create a bit of space. The Devils defender picked his spot and fired a shot. It went past Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen and into the goal. This gave New Jersey a 3-2 win at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. And it brought the series to 2-1 in favor of Carolina.

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Nemec had an up and down season in 2024-25. The young Devils defender entered the year as one of the team's more highly touted prospect. In fact, many saw the former second-overall pick as a future star in the league. However, trade rumors around Nemec began swirling after the emergence of rookie Seamus Casey and veteran Johnathan Kovacevic.

This goal certainly may have changed the narrative a bit. One of his veteran teammates applauded the 20-year-old blueliner for his effort in Game 3. “He took that moment. He wasn’t scared of it,” Devils defenseman Brian Dumoulin said after the victory over the Hurricanes, The Athletic's Peter Baugh.

This win certainly means something to New Jersey. They are within a game of tying this series against the Hurricanes. Given their start to the matchup, it's a massive confidence boost. However, the work is also nowhere close to done. The Devils need to win three of potentially five games in order to advance. Game 3 between the Devils and Hurricanes takes place on Sunday night at the Prudential Center.