The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Devils in Game 5 of their first-round series 5-4 in double overtime on Tuesday night. Now, the offseason begins, and so does the important work from Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald with free agency opening on July 1.

The Devils face elimination and will need to overcome a significant historical challenge. They are 1–10 all-time when trailing 3–1 in a best-of-seven series, with their sole comeback occurring in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final against the Philadelphia Flyers .​

Sebastian Aho scored his second goal of the game at 4:17 of the second overtime period, and the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 5-4 win against the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 on Tuesday in Raleigh,